A development application has been lodged for a $13-million upgrade to the existing art-house cinema Palace Verona building in Sydney’s Paddington.
On a site on the outskirts of the Oxford Street cultural and creative precinct, the existing Verona theatre would be transformed into a “vibrant mixed-use site that reimagines entertainment and activation,” the design report read.
Designed by Scott Carver, works would include the partial demolition of the existing Verona building. The site would be transformed into a six-level mixed-use development, with basement cinemas and cultural and creative spaces, ground-floor retail, upper-level commercial and office spaces, and a rooftop bar and landscaped terrace areas.
Formerly an industrial factory, 17 Oxford Street was converted into a cinema in 1996 by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects, and operates today as the Palace Verona. The architects would retain the building’s industrial texture and cinema features while integrating contemporary additions above the existing brick facade.
Plans include the demolition of the existing 1996 addition (not heritage-listed) and the incorporation of two new basement levels excavated beneath the building for additional cinemas and live entertainment venues.
Two additional upper levels would be added, maximizing the building envelope based on a 20-metre offset from the existing ground-floor levels. The new upper levels would feature a lightweight, permeable facade over the solid brick plinth, emitting a soft glow from the internal activities.
The future space would be flexible, to suit a range of diverse uses. A new cinema lobby is proposed for Oxford Street, while the commercial lobby would be located on Verona Street, supporting the laneway character and anticipated street activation.
The cinema would close its doors while undergoing the major redevelopment. The development application was lodged on 9 November as an Integrated Development under the state’s Heritage Act 1977.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
