Project Director, Ian McDougall. Design Director, Howard Raggatt. Design Architects, Neil Masterton and Andrew Lilleyman. Project Architect, Peter Bickle ...Collapse

“We have described them as ‘non-identical Siamese twins. The buildings are designed to complement one another, but we also wanted them to have separate identities to reflect the two different client groups and their audiences,”- Ian McDougall ...Collapse

While the MTC looks like a large impenetrable box with its black aluminium cladding and white pipes traversing the facade forming geometric shapes and at times leaping beyond the building itself, the MRC next door, sits in stark contrast. Wide open with a façade of glass, bluestone and white aluminium cladding, the most arresting feature the black honeycomb-like frame set over the large windows blurs the distinction between inside and outside, essentially, inviting the streets that surround the building to become part of the structure, and vice versa. "We always hope that our work will become part of the fabric of whichever city it’s in, as well as participating in the ongoing conversation about architecture locally, nationally and internationally," - Ian McDougall ...Collapse

“In the MTC we used materials that reflected both the nature of theatre and the culture of our client, the Melbourne Theatre Company. The exterior explores ideas about the illusion of theatre – that what you see during the day is transformed at night, and somehow transcends the experience you might have of the space during the day. Paint, plasterboard and lighting were used to create visual illusions in the interiors, again like a theatre set. The materials and detailing are deliberately, boldly simple. There is no distraction created by precious detailing, or by a multitude of different finishes,” Ian McDougall ...Collapse