A Griffith architecture graduate and a host of student volunteers will throw open the doors for behind-the-scenes glimpses of some of the Gold Coast’s most iconic and architecturally significant buildings and locations this weekend.
This Saturday, October 27, the fourth annual Gold Coast Open House will offer insider tours of buildings, places and spaces across the city that reflectitsunique architecture and urban design.
From heritage gems to sports venues and inspiring buildings, homes, churches, schools, universities, museums, art galleries, TV and radio stations, public utilities and workplaces, Gold Coast Open House will unlock the doors to places that may have been only glimpsed from the street.
Andrew Brewer graduated from Griffith in 2012 with a Bachelor of Environmental Design (Architecture) in 2012 before going on to complete a Master of Architecture in 2014.
Brewer credits the skills he acquired at Griffith for paving the way for his career as an Architect and Associate Director at Burling Brown Architects in Southport, where he is currently working on the new three-storeymulti-million-dollar building at A.B. Paterson College.
Having participated in Gold Coast Open House for the past couple of years, Brewer has stepped up as a committee member andorganiserfor the 2018 instalmentand is excitedto give the community a behind-the-sceneslook intothe GC’s most significant buildings, places and spaces.
“Some of Gold Coast’s best houses are on show and the public will be able to talk and meet with the architects who designed them,” he said.
“In my opinion, architecture on the Gold Coast is uniquely different because of the lifestyle of the people who dwell here and for those who visit here, and ultimately end up staying.
“The Gold Coast thrived in the mid-century modernist architecture movement, which has collided overtime with the birth of the high-rise skyline for sun, surf and pleasure.
“What’s exciting is the thriving young architects who grew up here, studied here and are paving the way for a hip culture of architecture with no boundaries and plenty of alternative ideas.”
Among the list of new and old ‘unlocked’ iconic buildings areSouthportTown Hall, Metricon Stadium, the Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame, Q1, and a separate tour ofSouthport’sArt Deco gems.
Architects will be able to share the ideas and decisions at the locations, alongside a host of volunteers that include a large contingent of Griffith architecture students.
“Without the support of the Griffith volunteers and all volunteers this event just would not be successful,” Brewer said.
The Architecture studentsare able toprovidein-depthknowledge of the buildings they volunteer at.”
The buildings included in 2018 offer a snapshot of the evolution of architecture on theGold Coast, with some buildings dating back to the late 1800s, early 1900s, through to cutting-edge design of recent years by some of the Gold Coast’s leading architects.
Gold Coast Open House is a free event for all ages. Locals and visitors will have the opportunity to explore these urban spaces and learn more about the Gold Coast, its history and future aspirations – and how architecture and design of the city as it is today.
The Gold Coast held its first ‘Open House’ in 2015, joining a world-wide ‘family’ of Open House events, the first of which was held in London in 1992.