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The Sutherland Shire’s principal performing arts venue has officially reopened following a major redevelopment of what was the Sutherland Entertainment Centre.

Reimagining the former arts and cultural centre, the rebranded Pavilion Performing Arts Centre Sutherland preserves aspects of the former building while creating a contemporary new public venue with ameliorated functions to cater for a diversity of cultural and technical needs.

The project also saw all acoustics, accessibility and back-of-house functions revitalised to provide a venue with broad appeal for audiences and performers alike.

The Pavilion Performing Arts Centre held a soft launch for the completed project on 28th January with a performance by Bangarra Dance Theatre as part of the 2023 Sydney Festival, while the building was officially opened with a gala concert on 4th March.

Designed by Chrofi and NBRS Architecture, the structure is composed of a grid of mass laminated timber, mirroring the geometry of the existing masonry building. The original building was designed and built in the 1970s as a music venue for the local community, and the architects retained the bones of the existing centre in the redevelopment.

Features of the $41 million renovation include a 686-seat theatre, additional rehearsal spaces, a new entry court and foyer, and upgrades to the surrounding Peace Park. The reimagined internal space includes a glass foyer, conceived as a ‘park pavilion’ with abundant natural light and park views, serving as a gathering place before performance times and doubling as a performance space in its own right.

A new verandah along the northern edge of the building is designed as an interface and a ‘connective threshold’ to help mediate the level of change between park and building. The architects have provided a new through-connection between Merton and Eton streets, which was previously only available through the centre itself. The centre features a more open outlook than the former, inward-oriented auditorium and narrow public address to Eton Street.

In a statement, Chrofi noted that the venue “reaffirms Peace Park as the civic heart of Sutherland,” fostering stronger connections to the established civic institutions, with additional connections to future developments within the Sutherland town centre.

The northern side of the existing building has been adapted to form a cafe and administrative spaces. The auditorium has also retained much of the existing envelope, but the original flat floor has been transformed into tiered seating, with refurbishments carried out for acoustics, accessibility and back-of-house functions.

A Sutherland Shire Council-owned company not-for-profit company will operate the venue and the boutique Sutherland Arts Theatre in the 1921 Sutherland Memorial School of Arts.
The Council will be the sole shareholder of the company and will appoint a board of six directors with specialist experience in cultural facilities, community engagement and arts management and marketing aalong with three representatives.

Images: The nelwy reopened Pavilion Performing Arts Centre Sutherland (top) whose external structure includes a grid of mass laminated timber (below). Credit: Alexander Mayes.

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