The Marion Cultural Centre opened in 2001 and was quite a controversial topic because of its design…read moreas it incorporates the word 'Marion', it's certainly a visible landmark for the suburb. The architectural design was also another first for government or private businesses to incorporate energy saving systems. It has stormwater collection facilities allowing water to be filtered and stored on site then distributed to Adelaide's subterranian aquifier, solar hot water, evapoartive air conditioning, energy efficient lighting and a low maintenance garden. If only we can all afford that! It is situated between the Marion Shopping Centre and the new Marion Aquatic Centre. The centre houses a theatre, meeting rooms, art gallery, café, foyer, plaza and the Marion Library, which have individual opening hours so it's best to check the City of Marion website attached with this review. During the school holidays the whole complex run their own programs to keep kids and parents occupied. The library is open plan and easy to navigate, membership is free, the gallery is bright and colourful with lots to see during exhibition events and there's art and craft to purchase, the theatre screens movies, hosts plays, etc, meeting rooms for hire and the foyer itself hosts various functions and events. Feeling peckish? Fear not as there is a fully equipped cafe with a great selection of light meals, snacks and hot and cold drinks. This year on December 10th area surrounding the centre will host its first market, so keep an ear out for next year if you miss this years market. Definitely a good place for the whole family.

I used to think the Marion Cultural Centre was a complete and utter eyesore. Its ultra modern…read morearchitecture used to exist un-surrounded by other buildings but since the Aquatic Centre and other buildings and have sprung up around it, its taken on a new life and now seems to fit well into its surroundings. If you look closely you'll realise the architectural team who designed the building have managed to incorporate the word MARION into the external features of the building - pretty clever really. After disapproving from afar for a long time, I finally went inside and was genuinely impressed ... what an amazing public space! Inside the Cultural Centre are a variety of public spaces. There's the Marion Library which is open 7 days a week and offers computers for public use complete with internet access. There are also a couple of rooms available for hire known as the Sturt and Green Rooms - the Green is clearly a reference to the Marion Council's commitment to environmental issues. The Domain Theatre that seats 280 people, plays host to all sorts of events and comes complete with its own box office to manage ticket sales. Gallery M is the Cultural Centre's 'state of the art' art space and is also open all week. Entry is free and individuals or groups can hire the space for their own exhibitions. The gallery has an amazingly high ceiling and I've been told there's something like 66 linear metres of hanging space. The only drawback within the centre is Signatures Café. I have to admit I haven't eaten there but I was sorely disappointed with their coffee! I recommend having a closer look at the exterior of the building to see if you can make out the letters and of course taking a tour of the facilities inside the building. It's a great place and well worth a visit.

The Marion Library is within the facility of the Marion Cultural Centre. Like the Centre, the…read morelibrary is modern in layout with not only books and ample space to read them, but many other services. You can borrow CDs, DVDs (I think even VHS!) and magazines. If you're in a rush to scurry your entertainments home there's a self-serve electronic check out system. I rarely borrow books, but when I do there's an after hours return box for my convenience. What I usually use the library for is when my home computer system stuffs up. There is a computer lab of about 10-15 computers, and you can book them at the booking terminal within the library or online (http://www2.marion.sa.gov.au/scripts/pcres/reserve.pl). Computer use is booked for an hour at a time. This is also good if you don't have a printer or need photocopies which you can use after loading your library card up at the pay station. If you can't work out how to use something, or you're after a particular book, the librarians are very approachable and helpful. The last few times I was there I needed to use the scanner to scan a signed document and my home scanner had crapped out. As I only had one page the last time, I used the 15 minute express computer. You can book the scanner from the library service desk. One awesome thing is the little section which sells the library's unwanted books, CDs, and DVDs, which cost a maximum of $2. The last time I was there I bought Chuck Palahniuk's "Non-Fiction" for $1. The library also has pamphlets and info on community services and events.