Its modern, neo-brutalist design remains controversial in some quarters, but there's no doubting the benefit the Queensland Performing Arts Complex has brought to the state.
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The complex has marked its 30th birthday – three decades after its official opening by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent on April 20, 1985.
QPAC chief executive John Kotzas said the milestone year was a chance to acknowledge the thousands of people who have made the centre what it is, as well as making sure it remains an open, accessible and relevant public space.
"[We want] a centre of change and energy, where people's experiences of live performance stays with them long after they have left and ultimately makes a difference to our communities," he said.
"In marking the year there will be special events and new initiatives in collaboration with many of our partners. There will also be discussion and debate and plenty of opportunities for the public to visit, participate, create and let us know what they think."
Originally opened with just the 2000-seat Lyric Theatre and 1600-seat Concert Hall, QPAC was expanded in 1997 with the 800-seat Playhouse and 300-seat Cremorne Theatre, plus extra rehearsal and administration space.
The Newman government released a masterplan for the Cultural Precinct in 2014, which included plans for a hotel built over the top of the QPAC, a new 1500-seat theatre and a public amphitheatre.
The hotel was particularly controversial, and the Australian Institute of Architects lodged a bid in September to have the building heritage-listed.
A decision could be made as early as May 1.
At a celebration on the QPAC lawns on Sunday afternoon, Premier and Minister for the Arts Annastacia Palaszczuk hinted her government would continue investigating ways to optimise QPAC for future generations of performers and audiences.
"We have more than one million people coming through the doors of QPAC now each and every year," she said.
"I was just saying to John [Kotzas] that we have to now look at the capacity of QPAC to see if we need to expand into the future years."
QPAC was approved for construction in 1972 by the Bjelke-Petersen government, who contracted noted Brisbane architect Robin Gibson to design it.
The first production to be staged in the Lyric Theatre was The Pirates of Penzance, starring Jon English and Simon Gallaher.
Coincidentally, Gallaher has just wrapped up another season onstage, playing the Wizard of Oz in the musical Wicked.
