The beating heart of the Gold Coast’s arts and entertainment scene, HOTA is the result of an impressive $60 million development that opened in May 2021. Its world-class fine art gallery sits within a striking six-level building designed by ARM Architects — a colourful high-rise visible for kilometres, offering 360-degree views across the Gold Coast region.
The gallery features a 1,000-square-metre special exhibition space on level one for touring shows, a children's activity zone and four levels of permanent exhibition space showing an entertaining and vibrant selection of Australian contemporary art. The collection is not a comprehensive survey but rather follows a number of themes. It's strong in 1970s abstraction, ceramics (through the International Gold Coast Ceramic Art Award), photography (through the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award) and Indigenous art. Naturally, there is a strain of art inspired by the Gold Coast itself.
The building itself is fun to navigate with various views to enjoy as you climb the stairs. The top level houses the Exhibitionist Bar (perhaps named in playful homage to the practice of nude sunbathing) with an outdoor area and a menu of cocktails and sophisticated bites. The sensational Palette Restaurant and the HOTA gift shop form part of the main building. A large grassy area joins the gallery to the HOTA Amphitheatre down the hill, with access to the Nerang River and HOTA Green Bridge beyond.
HOTA Gallery was formerly known as Gold Coast City Gallery and was built on the lands of the Kombumerri families of the Yugambeh Language Region. The HOTA precinct is a one-hour drive from downtown Brisbane and thoroughly worth the journey.