The second stage of a competition to design the redevelopment of Parramatta’s Riverside Theatres in Western Sydney is now underway, following the announcement of five finalist design teams in early January 2024.
The teams will now further develop their ideas and incorporate jury feedback from stage one.
The brief for stage two crafted in collaboration with Government Architect NSW to define vision, scope, and functional requirements of the redevelopment of the Riverside Theatres.
The redevelopment will more than double the capacity of the existing centre with a new 1,350- to1,500-seat lyric theatre, new 380- to 430-seat black-box drama theatre, an 80- to 100-seat digital studio and cinema and a refurbished 760-seat playhouse theatre.
“We are delighted the response phase is underway and we look forward to a really diverse range of creative proposals for this significant community building,” said NSW government architect Abbie Galvin.
Riverside Theatres Director Craig McMaster said each of the five teams demonstrated “exceptional creativity and passion for the vision for Riverside.”
“This is a once in-a-generation design competition that will allow one of these architectural teams to put their stamp on the centrepiece of our emerging arts and cultural precinct,” City of Parramatta lord mayor Pierre Esber said.
“The reimagined Riverside will be the new home of performing arts in Western Sydney and yet another drawcard for people to visit Parramatta.
The shortlisted teams are:
- ARM Architecture (lead architect and urban design) with UN Studio (architecture and urban design), Aspect Studios (landscape architecture), FCAD (designing with Country and emerging practice), Supermanoeuvre (architecture) and Second Edition (architecture and emerging practice)
- Cox Architecture (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).
Teams will present their refined vision in early May 2024 and a winning team is expected to be announced later in the month.
