Glasshouse Theatre joins the Playhouse, Lyric Theatre, Concert Hall and Cremorne Theatre to make QPAC the largest performing arts centre in Australia under one roof.
Practical completion of the new theatre took place in January 2026, with a free Community Day held at the theatre on Saturday 7 March 2026.
For more information on upcoming performances and opportunities to experience the Glasshouse Theatre, please visit the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).
Project background
In May 2018, the Queensland Government announced it would invest in the delivery of a new theatre on the Playhouse Green site co-located with and operated by QPAC.
The project delivers a 1500-capacity state-of-the-art theatre for Queensland, creating a fifth theatre for QPAC with the potential to welcome an additional 300,000 visitors a year across five venue spaces.
Design
In May 2019, the Queensland Government announced Blight Rayner + Snøhetta as the successful Principal Consultant design team for the new theatre at QPAC. Drawing inspiration from the Brisbane River as an important meeting place for telling stories, the concept design respects the heritage listed Queensland Cultural Centre while creating a new place with its own identity.
Key design features of the project include:
- an iconic rippled glass facade
- transparent foyer spaces
- a single balcony auditorium delivering enhanced audience sight line
- provision for additional studio spaces under the theatre’s auditorium
- significant Torres Strait Islander artwork in the external entry forecourt.
- a design guided by the Conservation Management Plan, commissioned by Arts Queensland.
Public art – Floriate by Brian Robinson
The external entry forecourt of the Glasshouse Theatre features a new Queensland Government-commissioned public artwork by internationally-recognised Torres Strait Islander artist Brian Robinson.
The four-metre-high bronze sculpture – titled Floriate – is inspired by Queensland’s native flora and its connection to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Installed in February 2026, the sculpture features flowering plants and an elongated ribbon form, referencing key river systems that connect to QPAC’s home in South Brisbane.
Robinson was selected to develop and deliver Floriate by an independent Public Artwork Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Selection Panel in 2023, following an Expression of Interest (EOI) process seeking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists with a cultural connection to Queensland.
The final artwork was created by Robinson, in collaboration with public art specialists UAP and design consultant Blaklash Creative.
Image: Floriate by Brian Robinson, February 2026. Credit: Rachel See, courtesy of Brian Robinson and UAP | Urban Art Projects.
Video by Lengash Covenas and Rachel See, courtesy of Brian Robinson and UAP | Urban Art Projects, 2026.
Benefits
Timeline
Image: Glasshouse Theatre. Credit: David Kelly