Client
Williams Ross Architects
Location
Melbourne
Completion date
2014
Originally designed in 1954 by Frederick Rombergz, of the famous Australian architectural practice Boyd Romberg and Grounds, and subject to many years of unsympathetic infill developments, the Sacred Heart College Oakleigh Performing Arts Building reopened in June 2014 after being fully refurbished into a set of multi-purpose spaces.
The Project
In keeping with the need to retain the original features of the building, the team repaired the original coloured glass feature wall and carefully refurbished the main hall of the building to be used as both an assembly and performance space, as was originally intended in 1957. The team also created a new space in the original courtyard, delivering a fully equipped drama studio with state of the art equipment and infrastructure that was designed to be both flexible enough to suit multiple requirements whilst still being easily operated by the staff and students.
In addition to these spaces, the redevelopment includes a refurbished foyer space, new music tuition rooms, art classrooms, gallery spaces as well as all required backstage facilities including storage, specialised equipment areas, music store rooms and office spaces.
Our Brief
Marshall Day Entertech provided specialist theatre consulting services for all aspects of the redevelopment including design and specification of the building’s theatre services and equipment including flown lighting bars, complete lighting, sound, Audio Visual, communication and paging systems equipment and control.
Marshall Day Acoustics provided complex acoustic consultancy services for all areas to ensure that all spaces could operate simultaneously without sound transference occurring between rooms or into other areas of the school.
The building opened in June 2014 to an impressed audience and the new space continues to support education in all aspects of the performing and creative arts by the entire school community.
