The Round, a new performing arts centre in Melbourne’s east, is set to throw open the curtains and welcome artists on stage, following the completion of the project.
BKK Architects and Kerstin Thompson Architects (KTA), together with landscape architect practice Aspect Studios, won a design competition for the redevelopment of the 30-year-old Whitehorse Centre in Nunawading.
Rehearsal space, the Round.
Image: Supplied
The new venue features a 600-seat auditorium, 200-seat studio theatre with rectractable seating bank, box office, multipurpose rehearsal studios, a bar, function rooms, and outdoor soundshell for festivals and outdoor events.
A material palette of red brick, steel and glass have been carefully curated for the facade, creating a sensitive negotiation between the centre and the landscape. The external red brick concaves to create a unique form. Internally, red brick and glass details in the interior harmonize well with the exterior, while a wide timber stair case and in-built seating areas offer texture and a point of difference.
Simon Knott of BKK said the centre has been designed to be a civic building, deeply embedded in its context, from both a built-form and landscape perspective. He said the centre acts as a “catalyst to maximize the site’s opportunities and will support a range of community activities on the site.”
Kerstin Thompson of KTA said the project involved rethinking the suburban performing arts centre so the impact of the space could be felt beyond performing arts circles and “form an integral part of an extended public realm.”
The Round will open to the public on October 13, with an opening night event to be held.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
