The Museum of Glass is a new cultural building for Brisbane that creates a connection between Southbank Cultural precinct to the city centre. The materiality of the building and the views opening from the site, create a direct link between this new exhibition space and existing brutalist QLD museum, QPAC and QAG buildings. Whilst the crystalline facade above is derived from the proportions of the Bellevue Hotel that used to sit on the site, before being unfortunately demolished.

The Museum of Glass is both and exhibition space and a workshop for glass work. The building provides a space for visitors to deposit glass to be recycled, which is then taken directly to artists in the workshops. As a visitor to the museum, you venture through the building beginning at the workshops, then the exhibition spaces, finishing in the glass hall. You can watch the glass blowing artists create thier sculptures or participate in workshops hosted in the space. The crystal box is in itself an exhibit, that is etched with images from glass plate negatives of Brisbane from the late 1800s, the etchings are projected onto the core as the sun moves around the building. This ever-changing exhibit is different each time you visit – changing through the day and from season to season. 

The crystalline facade is able to expand to ventilate the space and celebrate the subtropical climate, or contract to close in the space overnight.