City of Parramatta has approved the business case for the redevelopment of its Riverside Theatres venue on the banks of the Parramatta River.
“Our much-loved theatre has been entertaining locals and visitors for more than 30 years and it’s time to move Riverside into the future,” said lord mayor Donna Davis. “We are so excited about our plans to expand and modernise the theatres, so we can continue to foster our fantastic local talent and world-class creative work for decades to come.”
A concept reference design was approved by the council in May 2022, and council is now seeking approval for a planning proposal to increase the height limit on the site from 15 metres to 28 metres.
The redevelopment will create a new 1,350-seat proscenium arch lyric theatre, a refurbish 760-seat playhouse theatre, a new 430-seat multi-mode drama theatre, and a 75-seat digital studio and cinema. In total, the redeveloped venue will have more than double the capacity of the existing theatre.
“It’s not often that you get to reimagine an icon, so we look forward to the delivery of a fabulous, upgraded version of our original Riverside Theatres that has long been the city and community’s beating heart,” said Riverside Theatres director Craig McMaster.
A design excellence competition will be launched in 2023 to determine the final detailed design of the project.
The council is seeking community feedback on its planning proposal for the project until 2 February 2023. The redeveloped theatre is slated to open in 2027.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
