In the room
The experience
The Recital Centre is wrapped in a plywood fractal-lattice that looks like tree bark from across the road and reads as a deliberate acoustic surface from inside. ARM Architecture designed the building in 2009, Arup did the acoustic engineering, and the result is a 1,000-seat shoebox that working soloists treat as a reference room for chamber and recital programming. The Elisabeth Murdoch Hall is the main room. The smaller Salon, 150 seats, runs Friday-lunchtime concerts that are free or pay-as-you-can and acoustically the venue's purest space. Australia's only purpose-built dedicated chamber-and-recital hall.
Insider tip
Walk in knowing
Friday lunchtime concerts at the Salon are free or pay-as-you-can. The Salon is the acoustic gem of the building.
Why it fits
Why it is in the atlas
Architecturally singular and acoustically referenced internationally. Australia's chamber-music anchor.
Plan the trip
When to go, hours, getting there
Best time to go
Year-round chamber and recital programming. Friday lunchtime Salon concerts are free or pay-as-you-can and consistently strong. Melbourne Festival in October is the headline week.
Hours
Box office Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 18:00. Performances most evenings. Salon Friday lunchtime concerts at 13:00.
Getting there
Tram 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72 to Sturt Street/Southbank. From Flinders Street Station, fifteen-minute walk over the Yarra. From Melbourne Airport, 30 minutes by SkyBus to Southern Cross then tram.
Straight from the source
Official site and tickets
Dates and tickets come from the venue itself. Opens melbournerecital.com.au in a new tab.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Where is Melbourne Recital Centre?
Melbourne Recital Centre is in Melbourne (Southbank), Australia. Coordinates: -37.8235, 144.9686.
What kind of music is at Melbourne Recital Centre?
Melbourne Recital Centre programmes Chamber, Recital, Contemporary Classical, Jazz. ARM Architecture's 1,000-seat shoebox in Southbank, opened 2009. Plywood tree-bark interior, Arup-tuned acoustics. Cited by working soloists as the cleanest small-room sound in the southern hemisphere.
When is the best time to visit Melbourne Recital Centre?
Year-round chamber and recital programming. Friday lunchtime Salon concerts are free or pay-as-you-can and consistently strong. Melbourne Festival in October is the headline week.
How do I get to Melbourne Recital Centre?
Tram 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, 72 to Sturt Street/Southbank. From Flinders Street Station, fifteen-minute walk over the Yarra. From Melbourne Airport, 30 minutes by SkyBus to Southern Cross then tram.
Why is Melbourne Recital Centre in the Sonic Paths atlas?
Architecturally singular and acoustically referenced internationally. Australia's chamber-music anchor.
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