Waterfront: Sink or Swim – the Engineering Marvel of Arts Centre Melbourne

Arts Centre Melbourne’s Theatres Building is widely recognised on the city skyline for its unique Spire, which has been a beacon for performing arts lovers for nearly 40 years. But the Spire also sits atop a spectacular engineering feat: five subterranean storeys extending into the structural nightmare of Coode Island silt and the nearby Yarra River water table that challenged the original engineers to devise some innovative solutions. Journey into the depths of this iconic landmark, discover the extraordinary world-first construction process that led to the building’s realisation and hear from the team leading a major redevelopment of the centre.

Waterfront is presented by Open House Melbourne as part of Melbourne Design Week—an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV. Sink or Swim is co–presented by Arts Centre Melbourne.

Image: courtesy of Arts Centre Melbourne, Australian Performing Arts Collection