Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Outdoor concert venue in Melbourne central business district, Australia
Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor concert venue in Melbourne central business district, Australia, protected as national heritage and listed on the Victorian register. The structure consists of a thin membrane canopy made from weatherproofed plywood suspended by steel cables across the performance area.
The site opened in 1959 after a businessman was inspired by the Hollywood Bowl and established free outdoor concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The homecoming of The Seekers in 1967 drew 200,000 people and set an attendance record for concerts in Australian history.
The bowl is named after Sidney Myer, the retailer who founded free open-air concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 1929; three or four of these free concerts are still held each year. Since 2002 it has hosted Carols by Candlelight on Christmas Eve, broadcast by the Nine Network, and the annual Music Victoria Awards.
The site provides 2,030 fixed seats while the lawn area accommodates additional visitors who can bring blankets or folding chairs. Performances usually take place in the evening, so warm clothing is recommended for cooler months and sun protection for summer nights.
The plywood canopy was designed following structuralist architecture principles, with the material itself determining the form. The design emerged during a period when Australia was experimenting with new building techniques to create large spaces without interior supports.
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