GLASSHOUSE_Theatre External Cladding & Walkways_Photo by Brett Boardman.

  • Client ::

    • Port Macquarie-Hastings Council

  • Location ::

    • Port Macquarie, NSW

  • Completed ::

    • 2009

  • Team ::

    • Tim Greer, Trina Day, Regina Meyer, Roger O’Sullivan, Peter Tonkin, Bettina Siegmund, Elizabeth Muir, Paul Rolfe, John Chesterman, Tamara Frangelli, Jennifer Fetner, Alison Osborne, Ben Daly, Kon Vourtzoumis

  • Awards ::

    • 2010 Australian Institute of Architecture (NSW) Blacket Prize for Regional Architecture. 2010 Australian Institute of Architecture (NSW) Commendation in the Sulman Award for Public Architecture. 2010 Winner National Commercial Interior Fitout Award, Australian Timber Design Awards. 2010 Winner Central Region Commercial Interior Fitout Award, Australian Timber Design Awards. 2010 Winner, Best Use of Australian Certified Timber, Australian Timber Design Awards.

Project Description::

The Glasshouse, Hastings’ Cultural Centre, comprises a 600-seat theatre, rehearsal/performance studio, conference facilities and a large regional gallery located in the centre of Port Macquarie, a rapidly-growing coastal city. The project brief was to establish the Glasshouse as the pre-eminent performance and exhibition arts facility in the region.

The design takes advantage of the Pacific Ocean views and is based on ‘openness’ and accessibility. The gallery shares the foyer space of the theatre, allowing appropriate exhibitions to fill the public spaces and, on low-visitation days, to be operated by minimal staff.

Wrapped around the sculpted form of the tall auditorium, the naturally ventilated foyers are open and glassy. The route from entry to auditorium is an exciting architectural journey through the levels of the space, overlooking parts of the gallery. The auditorium is a semi-traditional proscenium horseshoe, with a fully equipped lyric stage and fly tower. The orchestra pit is hydraulically raised and lowered to increase the flexibility of the space. All sightlines have been computer modelled, and the sound performance designed to exacting standards.

The expressive form of the exterior signals the cultural use of the Glasshouse, echoing the movements of the ocean and sky.