The former, a "modified shoe box" shaped music venue, is named after Dame Elisabeth Murdoch.

[4] To eliminate noise from the nearby Southbank Boulevard cars and trams, it is surrounded by 250mm of concrete, mounted on 38 steel springs.

The interior is lined with Hoop Pine plywood and is designed to give ideal bass response for cello and low brass.

[4] The shoebox shape, size and wooden surfaces were designed to provide a reverberation time of 1.6 to 1.8 seconds [5] The Salon can seat 136 people.

[8] The organisation programs and presents more than 500 concerts and events a year across diverse range of musical genres including classical and chamber, contemporary, pop, folk, rock, electronica, indie, jazz, cabaret and world music.