Sutherland Shire entertainment center gets the final go ahead
The Sutherland Entertainment Center holds an important place in the collective memory of the Sutherland community. Designed and built in the 1970s primarily as a musical venue, the then ‘Sutherland Civic Centre’ relied on an inward focus on its auditorium and on a narrow public address to Eton Street. This was a time when buildings like this relied on a separation between inside and outside and where spaces such as the foyer had only one purpose. This was also long before the development of Peace Park to the building’s north.
Fast forward to the present day. What we now find is a 40+ year old building which is in relatively good physical condition. However, as a modern day public venue, it must now cater to a diversity of cultural and technical needs. It must have a more open outlook and offer more to its community, both in terms of its relationship with its immediate surrounds but also in its spatial flexibility.
Our proposal seeks to offer a new and more engaging address for the Entertainment Centre by virtue of a friendlier and integrated relationship with Peace Park. This speaks to an opportunity to re-affirm Peace Park as the civic heart of Sutherland – a place with stronger connections not only to already established civic institutions but also with anticipated future developments within the Sutherland Town Centre.
Just as there is much spatial potential between the building and the park there are also wonderful opportunities to re-use much of the building’s current fabric. We propose that the existing black box space and administration building be retained and re-purposed to be café / theatre bar and foyer on the Ground Floor and multi-purpose community room and rehearsal space on Level 1. Likewise, the structure and facade on the north side of the building would be adapted for new uses such as restaurant, kitchen and stores on the Ground Floor; Administration spaces on Level 1 and Green Room on Level 2, each with a view of the park and connected by the existing ivy clad egress stair.
The auditorium also retains much of its surrounding envelope but will become an entirely new and lively space. The existing flat floor will be transformed into a more immersive tiered seating arrangement and all acoustics, accessibility and back of house functions revitalised to provide a venue with broad appeal for audiences and performers alike. The new theatre will be designed to meet or exceed national benchmarks for Performing Arts Centres, achieving a four star rating for theatres on the local, regional and national touring circuit.
Sydney’s Sutherland Shire Council has voted unanimously to go ahead with the largest infrastructure project in the council’s history, the redevelopment of its Civic Centre.
A state-significant development application for the proposed Sutherland Entertainment Centre was approved in October.
Chrofi and NBRS Architecture won a design competition for the project in May 2019. Their winning scheme included a verandah structure that will be added to the north of the existing structure, the Sutherland Civic Centre, and form a large foyer space and connection to the adjacent Peace Park.
Other works include a refurbished theatre with tiered seating, a fly tower over the stage to cater for diverse performances, flexible teaching and rehearsal spaces, a new entry court incorporating flexible outdoor events space, and upgrades to Peace Park.
“The Sutherland Entertainment Centre has been a much loved and well used performance and events space for over forty years, but we all acknowledge it is in need of a refresh to ensure it can continue to be the region’s premier entertainment destination for many years to come,” said mayor Steve Simpson.
“Plans to redevelop or replace our Entertainment Centre have been floated for almost as long as the building has been standing, with plans to upgrade the facility first brought before Council in 1984.
Construction will begin in early 2021, and completion is expected in 2022. The council is continuing to seek funding from relevant government agencies to support the project.
written by : ArchitectureAU Editorial
19 Nov 2020
published in : architectureau.com
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Sutherland Shire entertainment center gets the final go-ahead
“The Sutherland Entertainment Centre has been a much loved and well used performance and events space for over forty years, but we all acknowledge it is in need of a refresh to ensure it can continue to be the region’s premier entertainment destination for many years to come,” said mayor Steve Simpson.
