UQ Amphitheatre & Advanced Engineering Building

The University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus is home to some of Brisbane’s most celebrated architectural and engineering achievements. During Brisbane Open House, discover the Mary Mahoney Amphitheatre, the UQ Soundshell, and the Advanced Engineering Building (AEB), three landmark works.
Join architects from Kirk Studio for a tour of the revitalised amphitheatre and soundshell, and the Advanced Engineering Building at The University of Queensland’s (UQ) St Lucia campus.

The amphitheatre is a vibrant community hub centred on a renewed lake system that supports water health and local biodiversity. Named after Emeritus Professor Dr Mary Mahoney AO – UQ’s first female Deputy Chancellor and a pioneering medical leader – the amphitheatre honours her legacy of advancing women in leadership.

Nearby, the striking soundshell blends engineering precision with natural elegance. Its vaulted diagrid timber structure wrapped in a thin copper shell provides exceptional outdoor acoustics – a notoriously difficult achievement. Designed for performances and everyday use, it offers a cool, shaded retreat that visually merges into the lakeside landscape.

The tour culminates at the Advanced Engineering Building (AEB), a global exemplar of sustainable design. Completed in 2013, the AEB features a dramatic facade and auditorium crafted from Australian mass-engineered timber, demonstrating low‑energy, climate-responsive architecture. Inside, world‑class research spaces highlight how engineering innovation can shape both education and environmental stewardship.

Together, these three sites showcase UQ’s commitment to sustainability, design excellence, and community connection.