Two spectacular new wedding venues have officially opened for bookings at State Library Victoria as part of Vision 2020,an ambitious $88.1 million redevelopment project that will increase public space by 40%.
A key driver of the Vision 2020 project is to create a special event hub in the CBD that will attract a wider wedding market by offering magnificent heritage venues for unforgettable wedding experiences.
Partnering with Showtime Event Group as exclusive caterer, the State Library will officially launch the new spaces to market on Wednesday 10 October when it unveils the Isabella Fraser Room at a public wedding showcase. The launch will include a panel discussion with the Library’s Head of Strategy and Showtime’s Head of Business Development.
Isabella Fraser Room
A stunning new special event space, the Isabella Fraser Room opened in September 2018 and is named after the Library’s first listed female staff member. Previously closed to the public, the new heritage gallery is the Library’s first dedicated function room designed to accommodate 220 cocktail guests and 156 banquet guests. The sophisticated room features high ceilings and large windows overlooking La Trobe Street with beautiful natural light.
Supported by a brand new production kitchen, the Isabella Fraser Room boasts state-of-the-art audio-visual technology including in-built and customised staging, lighting and lighting rigging, lectern, laser projection and screen, wireless mic and ceiling mounted speakers. It is also located next to a brand new, world-class exhibition space, Victoria Gallery, which will open in May 2019 as part of Vision 2020,providing an opportunity to create a bespoke curator led-experience for guests.
This special event space will be directly accessible through a new accessible entrance on La Trobe Street.
The Ian Potter Queen’s Hall
The Ian Potter Queen’s Hall is State Library Victoria’s original reading room, which first opened to the public in 1859. Closed to the public since 2003, Vision 2020 will unlock this majestic hall and reopen its iconic interiors in Spring 2019. Accommodating 500 cocktail guests and 290 banquet guests, The Ian Potter Queen’s Hall will be refurbished to reveal the original architecture and stunning original 19th-century decorative paint scheme.
By day, The Ian Potter Queen’s Hall will function as a reading room and house the Australian literature, chess and bridge collections. By night, it will transform into a special event space, taking full advantage of its historic setting.
A dedicated suite of banquet furniture, integrated AV and adjacent finishing kitchen will cement The Ian Potter Queen’s Hall as Melbourne’s premier event space.
Other Spaces
In addition to these two new galleries, the Library also offers unique wedding spaces in the North Rotunda, Cowen Gallery, and the landmark La Trobe Reading Room, all available for wedding receptions, ceremonies and on location photography.
Showtime Event Group General Manager, Brad Dabbs said:||”We’ve always been a market leader when it comes to weddings. We’ve had a philosophy from early on to make this part of their day easy, and stress free. It’s why we constantly evolve our offering, and expand it to meet each and every couples’ needs.”
“The ability to take our award-winning approach and expand that offering into an exceptional and unique space such as State Library Victoria is testament that what we do is the best in the business.”
State Library Victoria Head of Strategy, Alix Massina said the expansion of the Library’s wedding offering cements its award-winning status as a premier special event destination in Melbourne,
“The Library is one of Melbourne’s most distinctive landmarks and we’re thrilled to be opening two new incredible heritage venues with state-of-the-art features to the public as part of our Vision 2020 transformation. Teaming with Showtime Event Group, we will offer memorable experiences for couples looking for that one-of-a-kind wedding experience.”
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