Sydney Theatre Company

Sydney, Australia

Charcoalblue have worked hand in hand with Sydney Theatre Company and Hassell Architects on a scheme to refurbish the Company home on Pier 4/5 in Walsh Bay, Sydney. The project has successfully rebuilt the Company’s two Wharf Theatres, creating a new sense of flexibility, surrounding the venues are rehearsal rooms, workshops, administration, storage and light open public spaces with extraordinary views across the bay.

This vibrant new home will ensure a relevant and viable future for the Company and its audiences on the Wharf and reinforce the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, a wider project supported by Infrastructure New South Wales.

The new wharf theatres have been designed to respect the architectural heritage of the historical 1921 pier building, the new spaces offer increased capacity and are fully adaptable for any performance staging. Wharf 1 seats 350-420 and embraces three core formats - End On, Corner and In the Round, whereas Wharf 2 seats 160 on a retractable unit. Both theatres can be joined by opening the skyfold doors creating a larger Wharf 3.

“Charcoalblue have led the way reinventing theatre consultancy worldwide. They have a brilliant team with the best theatre and acoustics brains in the business. Working with them on our Wharf renewal has been fantastic resulting in an exceptional theatre experience for artists, technicians and audiences alike.”

Jono Perry, Wharf Renewal Project Director, Sydney Theatre Company

Charcoalblue’s involvement included Auditorium Design and Theatre Planning, Acoustic Design, Stage Engineering Systems and Technical, Stage Lighting and Audio Visual Systems.

The project is unique in how involved the existing client team engaged with the project and design team – a true spirit of collaboration was established in the early days and was maintained right to end.

“A unified build of the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct with the Sydney Theatre Company will provide a range of cultural benefits to the people of NSW”

Don Harwin, Minister for the Arts, NSW Government

“You want your audiences to come in and with every visit feel that there's something unique about it.”

Gavin Green, Charcoalblue


Project Details

Client

Sydney Theatre Company

Budget

AUS$60m

Completion

2020

Credits

Architect

Hassell Architects

Heritage architect

Tropman & Tropman Architects

Building services, fire engineering, sustainable design

ARUP

Quantity surveyor

MBM

Renders

Doug and Wolf

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Talk to Eric about Sydney Theatre Company.

+61 (03) 9417 6524

Supporting the industry internationally since 2004

The Queen's Awards for Enterprise: International Trade 2020 UK Theatre Tonic Theatre Communications Group Carbon Literate Orginisation - Silver
Portrait of Eric against a blue background

Talk to Eric about Sydney Theatre Company.

Contact Eric

+61 (03) 9417 6524