The historic Metro-Minerva Theatre in Sydney’s Kings Cross could be given a new life as a boutique hotel with a series of performance spaces recalling its old life.
The theatre was opened in 1939 and ceased operation in 1979 when it was converted into a market and subsequently offices for film production company Kennedy Miller. In 2019, Kennedy Miller sold the building to developer Abacus Group. The site had development approval for office use and a height limit of 22 metres.
Fears then ensued over the fate of the historic building which resulted a community campaign to save it from redevelopment. In December 2020, the building was listed on the state heritage register as a rare example of an inter-war functionalist style theatre. Developer Central Element then purchased the site in early 2021.
TZG Architects has designed the transformation, which would preserve the building’s distinctive Art Deco features, including the original horsehair ceiling and proscenium arch.
A development application for the proposal has been submitted to the City of Sydney. Central Element director Wayne Chivas said the building’s heritage significance was a key reason the company snapped up the site.
“Like the broader community, we are pleased the building is now heritage-listed and we look forward to honouring and protecting the history of the building and its significant cultural heritage,” he said.
The restored Minerva Theatre by TZG Architects.
He said the interiors of the public spaces would incorporate interpretive displays on the building and its history and the main auditorium would be restored to allow for a mix of hospitality offerings, live music and cabaret.
But Minerva Theatre Action Group spokesperson Brandon Martignago said that while he commended the design, the site was not appropriate for a new hotel, and he was unconvinced by the proposed performance spaces.
“It’s a beautiful design, they’ve done well stuffing a hotel into this grand theatre space,” he said. “The design pays homage to the theatre, but for us that doesn’t cut the mustard.”
The action group is advocating for the theatre to be restored as a 1,000-seat theatre, which is supported by the state government and the City of Sydney. A feasibility study funded by both levels of government in 2020 found that there is commercial market interest and that it would be operationally viable to re-open the theatre.
Martignago, who is also head of local business group Potts Point Partnership, said a theatre would help contribute to a vibrant 24-hour precinct comparable to London’s Soho, while a new boutique hotel was not needed in an already saturated market.
He said the performance spaces outlined in the current proposal were unlikely to be logistically or financially viable, and that they were more akin to a “piano in the cosmetics section of David Jones.”
Central Element said in a statement that it had commissioned Arup to assess the requirements and constraints of the building if it were to be refurbished as a functioning theatre with a 1,000 seat capacity. It said the building constraints limited the seating capacity to under 700 seats and that having a solely dedicated theatre would not be economically or technically viable.
The company also said it was dedicated to “maximizing the creative and performance use of the building in line with community demand for more live performance and cultural venues in Sydney.”
Should the development application be approved, the developer expects to reopen the Minerva in 2024.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
