I've never posted a new thread to the UER before but I've always enjoyed how open everyone is in terms of photo sharing so I thought I'd add my first official location after stalking this forum since September last year. If I've posted this in the wrong section by all means correct the error of my ways.
This was my "holy grail of explores" until very recently but I'll always refer to it as a 10/10 location
It was at the dead end of December 2014 and the beginning of January this year when I was meeting up with a fellow explorer and we were playing around in a drain across the riverside - when we came out of the manhole I noticed this derelict, neglected looking facility in the distance like an oasis in the desert. I do enjoy a facility.
I could see I was in luck. I like fresh, I like modern and I fucking love Brutalist architecture and this is exactly what this place was - it even had this unique chain feature which was new to me. This building turned out to be the former ABC recording studio for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra Hall. Queensland experienced some epic flooding in 2011 and many of the facilities on the river front in Brisbane were, to be abrupt - fucked beyond repair. The ABC decided to build new head quarters for the Q.S.O. elsewhere and sold the property to some developer company who is predictably demolishing the building (intel informs me that most of it is now stripped) to place some block of apartments in its place. Its happening all over Brisbane - this particular area is riddled in abandonment and construction sites. I knew this building had alarms, and that security knew people wanted in so if you were caught inside it wasn't a slap on the wrist ordeal; it was a very very secure building with only four doors, one being a swipe access, another being welded shut from the inside, another only able to be opened from the inside but there was one last door...
I tried so many times to get into this building! I went into the crawlspace like something someone in the movie the Descent; I climbed up onto the balconies only to be met with more locked doors - so I realised I would just keep an eye on it. A very firm eye on it. Weekly check ups resulted in the same ordeal - the construction site accross the road was using this building (both locations being owned by the same developing company) as toilets for the workman and each time I tried to sneak in, even in wearing a high vis vest to blend in, I failed - they all knew. I ended up spend some days spying on the workmen from the bushes and it was that point I got a little over it and started questioning my sense of self respect.
Another explorer in town had informed me on the intensity of security's response to the triggering of the alarms, so once I found that out I was turned off it. All I had to do from now was wait. Another drive by a few weeks later turned out there was a temp fence around the building with all the power off.
It was time
When Kurtis from ExplorationUrbaine.com came to visit Brisbane the "urbex energy" in the air was strong. He had interest in all the underground stuff in town and I was happy to introduce him to that; we were in the area and I simply wanted to check up on what was coined in my head as "my Orchestra Hall" and of possibilities in gaining access to this place, the previously mentioned "last door" was wide open!! Due to the door leading into a recording studio area, there were two more doors, all unlocked ... and the adventure began
1. A more block-like view of the structure from the road until you turn around and see...
2. ...the Magnificent exterior, being so large in scale I could barely fit it into the entirety of my lens but you get the idea...
Orchestral Symphonies. by
ktotakov., on Flickr
3. A closer photograph of the main doors ot the building made me realise that I never got a proper photo of the Q.S.O. logo.
4. The garden was appearing a little more on the unloved side, but it was those chains that had my attention more than anything else. Sexy!
5. A closer view of the design of the building, which by this stage most of the glass had my grease smudges all over it from me peering in through the glass with not only my hands and face but my camera, which leads me to ....
6. ...this interior day time. Sadly I only ever came here once in the night. Notice tthe red light to the right wall, near the pillar - I suspect this meant the alarm was on.
7. The demolition crew were working here Mon - Fri 5 - 5 so the only chance I had was n a Sunday and if it was ging to be *that* much of a bitch to visit during the day then I honestly couldn't be arsed. I've already been in and seen it, that was enough.
8. So finally, an interior shot.
The Orchestra Hall. by
ktotakov., on Flickr
9. The main hall. Absolutely beautiful.
The Orchestra Hall. by
ktotakov., on Flickr
10. I never researched this place enough to discover it was actually a recording studio - - I was pictured I was going to run into all of these performing theatres with seats and shit but no - the up side to that is, that it had all this awesome recording equipment inside; this being the only technology I ever photographed.
I am particularly unhappy with these images but i realise its the only set I have so, oh well. I was more interested in seeing the place than anything else
The Orchestra Hall. by
ktotakov., on Flickr
11. As we made our way through the building, there were the corridors with office down them that showed signs that demolition had already commenced, which resulted in us not really bothering going near these said offices.
There was a canteen here though, which again, I have no photos of. One of the many rooms had a bunch of filing cabinets which would have been amazing if they still had stuff in them but no, they were empty. All they were good for was a photo.
Q.S.O. by
ktotakov., on Flickr
12. Then my associate got sick, in the sick room.
13. The plant room basically took up the entirety of level three. So much interesting equipment in here that I didn't photograph!!
The Orchestra Hall. by
ktotakov., on Flickr
14. The roof. You can imagine it was sort of dodgy.
The Orchestra Hall. by
ktotakov., on Flickr
15. A different view of the roof looking towards the city - no, Brisbane is not this small.
The Orchestra Hall. by
ktotakov., on Flickr
Thanks for reading my nonsensical rambling.
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