Five architectural teams have been shortlisted as finalists in a Design Excellence Competition for the $180-million redevelopment of Riverside Theatres on the banks of Sydney’s Parramatta River.
The City of Parramatta approved the business case for the redevelopment in January 2023 and, in August, launched a design competition that permitted international architects and designers to be part of an Australian-led design team.
The redevelopment will feature a new 1,350 to 1,400-seat lyric theatre, a refurbished 760-seat riverside playhouse theatre, a new 430-seat multi-mode drama theatre, and an 80 to 90-seat digital studio and cinema. The venue will have more than double the capacity of the existing theatre.
The five shortlisted design teams are:
- ARM Architecture (lead architect and urban design) with UN Studio (architecture and urban design), Aspect (landscape architecture), FCAD (designing with Country and emerging practice), Supermanoeuvre (architecture) and Second Edition (architecture and emerging practice)
- Cox (lead architect and urban design) with 3XN Studio (architecture), Turf (landscape architecture), Bangawarra (designing with Country) and Aileen Sage (architecture and emerging practice)
- Durbach Block Jaggers Architects (lead architect) with Openwork (urban design and landscape architecture), Jiwah (landscape architecture and designing with Country), Retallack Thompson Architects (architecture and emerging practice), Schuler Shook (theatre planning/venue design), Finding Infinity (sustainability) and Suzie Miller (advisor)
- Wardle (lead architect and urban design) with REX (architecture), Billy Maynard (architecture and emerging practice), Sue Barnsley Design (landscape architecture), WSP (designing with Country), Charcoalblue (theatre planning/venue design) and Eckersley O’Callaghan (structural engineering)
- Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (lead architect) with Spackman Mossop Michaels (landscape architecture and urban design), Sibling Architecture (architecture and emerging practice), Djinjama (designing with Country), and Atelier Ten (sustainability).
City of Parramatta lord mayor Pierre Esber said each of the five finalists had presented the council with the kind of “ingenuity, innovation, imagination, creativity and design talent” they were hoping to see.
“This is more than another performing arts centre – this will be the heart of arts and culture of Greater Sydney, so we want to find the best,” Esber said.
“Our city is committed to the development of Parramatta as a destination and thriving cultural precinct. Through major cultural projects like this, we are pushing the boundaries to make the reimagined Riverside Theatres the next great stage Australian and international performers will be lining up to perform on.
“The Riverside Theatres redevelopment will be a major piece of the growing Parramatta’s night-time economy – helping to further boost our local economy by encouraging more to visit and take in some of the best stage shows in Australia.”
Indicative render of the redevelopment of Parramatta Riverside Theatres.
Image:
City of Parramatta
The design competition jury comprises Abbie Galvin (New South Wales government architect and chair), Jefa Greenaway (director of Greenaway Architects), Craig McMaster (theatre director of Riverside Theatres), Kerry Clare (director of Clare Design) and Oi Choong (founding director of Context Landscape Design).
“Design competitions provide us the privilege of hearing from the deep and diverse talent in the design industry,” jury chair Abbie Galvin said. “The selected teams are clever, thoughtful and highly creative – and we anticipate some delightful responses for this important community facility.”
A concept reference design was approved by the City of Parramatta in May 2022. The project is expected to commence in 2024.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
