Andrew Andersons Talks - Architect, Director of Peddle Thorp Architects and overall supervisor of the restoration project.

“We took in two bays of the Manning Building next door to fit in the new foyer and the working spaces – rehearsal rooms etc. But it was still pretty tight getting the detail planning right for the very specific interrelationships that are necessary behind the scenes in a theatre”

“Though the decorations in the new lobby are quite different from the old, certain devices remain the same. The carpet flows through both, and there’s theatrical new bracket lighting, which is the same kind of device as the period brackets in the old part, but completely different in style and effect. The new ceiling is cobalt blue, but overlaid with a stainless steel mesh, as opposed to having those little twinkling stars, and the walls use the same rich earth colours: terracottas, ochres etc’

“The old part of the building is rich in decorative works, sculptural embellishments, and it seemed very desirable that the new area should have a memorable example of today’s art. Laurens Tan’s marvellous sculpture titled ‘Octogene’ has certain linkages with 1928. The enormous baroque frame is the sort of thing you might well have seen in a grand old cinema, but it’s entirely contemporary in execution, being out of galvanised steel sheeting. State of the art technology is used in the video art which is a principle component.”