The centre is decorated with a chandelier made of local woods over the main staircase, and a Denis Williams mural, entitled Memorabilia 11.

After the destruction of the Assembly Rooms, the auditoriums of Queen's College and St Rose's High School were mainly used for major cultural presentations.

The idea of establishing a National Cultural Centre can be traced back to 1951 when a foundation stone was laid on the site that now houses the Bank of Guyana building.

The decision to erect the Centre was made early in 1971 and Guyanese architects were invited to submit designs for the building in a competition held that year.

[citation needed] It was unfinished by 1972, when Guyana hosted the Caribbean Festival Creative Arts (Carifesta), but the unfinished structure was used anyway, with the aid of three large canvas tents to complete the roofing, and coconut palm fronts as walls.