Arts Centre Melbourne has officially reopened the doors of Ian Potter State Theatre following an overhaul designed by local practice NH Architecture in collaboration with global firm Snøhetta.
Beginning in March 2024, the project restored the theatre’s interior – originally designed by interior designer John Truscott – and made enhancements to the theatre’s accessibility, comfort and technical capabilities such as lighting and sound.
According to a press release, efforts were made to preserve the Roy Grounds-designed building’s heritage qualities in what marks its “first major refurbishment since opening in 1984”. This was achieved through “an exacting process of documenting the theatre’s existing fabric and determining what could be preserved, restored, adapted or carefully reproduced.” The retention-first approach was supported by the guidance of Heritage Victoria.
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The 75,000 individual brass spheres that make up the cascading ceiling of the theatre were removed “panel by panel,” before being cleaned and replaced. The original gilder of the theatre Marcus Walkley returned with a fresh team to hand-gild new custom-moulded acoustic ceiling details. These details comprise more than 20 large panels with over 27,000 concave and convex baubles, aimed at diffusing sound.
Timber battens were also incorporated along the rear to reinforce sound absorbance, while new timber flooring was installed, recalling the former red carpet while providing a hard surface for enhanced acoustics.
Various technical infrastructure has been installed, including under-seat ventilation systems; a sound system made up 200 speakers, 60 amplifiers and over 12 kilometres of cabling; and a performance lighting system utilising LED and moving light technologies.
Addressing accessibility, the renovation has introduced seating options for patrons with mobility requirements at all levels; two new lifts situated by the stalls with ten adjacent wheelchair spaces, companion seating and an accessible bathroom; and lifting armrests and wider seating options.
Ongoing upgrades include an accessible stage door, a lengthened loading dock and updated backstage facilities.
The theatre’s renewal marks the first phase of the Melbourne Arts Precinct transformation scheme led by the Victorian government.
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“Renewing the Ian Potter State Theatre has required us to work simultaneously at the scale of a major civic project and at the scale of an individual material detail. Our task was to understand which qualities were fundamental to Roy Grounds’ and John Truscott’s original intent, then carefully coordinate the many heritage, performance, technical and construction requirements around them,” Hamish Lyon, director at NH Architecture, said.
Architect and project director at Snøhetta Australasia Matthew Irvine said, “Cultural buildings are complex because every design decision shapes a network of experiences – ranging from how a performer hears the room, to how an audience member reaches their seat and how technical teams support what happens on stage.”
Marking the reopening on 3 October, Arts Centre Melbourne hosted a range of performances and activities, including works by Resident Companies, The Australian Ballet and Opera Australia.