A consortium of architecture firms led by COX Architecture with 3XN Architects, Aileen Sage Architects, Turf Design Studio and Bangawarra, has won an international design competition to redevelop the iconic Riverside Theatres in Parramatta into a world-class performing arts centre.

The reimagined Riverside Theatres will feature a 1,500-seat Broadway-style lyric theatre, a refurbished 760-seat playhouse theatre, an all-new 424-seat studio theatre, a state-of-the-art 80-seat cinema, and First Nations inspired interiors. The multi-million-dollar redevelopment of the venue will more than double its current capacity to 2,780 seats, and aims to welcome more than 400,000 visitors every year.

The design targets a 5-Star Green Star rating, with a focus on reusing existing building materials to minimise environmental impact. The design seeks to remediate and restore the Parramatta landscape and riverbank ecologies to foster thriving biodiverse natural ecosystems. The revitalised riverfront will be a focal point of the redevelopment, boasting a vibrant riverside bar and café, improved pedestrian pathways, and extensive new endemic landscaping.

“Congratulations to the winning team for their sophisticated and expressive design, which has cleverly combined the complex requirements of state-of-the-art performance spaces with a dynamic form that twists, shapes, and modulates to respond to the river and welcomes the community,” said Abbie Galvin, NSW Government Architect and chair of the Design Excellence Jury.

Speaking on behalf of the design team, Joe Agius, director of COX Architecture said, “The reimagined Riverside Theatres will be a major uplift in the cultural capacity for Parramatta. Guided by a commitment to the location’s First Nations origin and sense of place, our goal was for our design to sensitively respond to both the natural beauty of the river and the site’s city context. Our team of creative collaborators are honoured to be part of this transformative project for the City of Parramatta.”

“The unique contextual response of the design lends itself to a distinct architectural expression and opportunity to create a building that is welcoming, porous, and permeable – framed with gateways of invitation and performative possibility,” noted Fred Holt, director of 3XN Architects.

“The redevelopment of Riverside Theatres has the potential to significantly transform the cultural landscape of Parramatta, celebrating Country, communities and many stories of this place,” said Isabelle Tolland, director of Aileen Sage Architects.

Commenting on the redevelopment, Riverside Theatres director, Craig McMaster said, "The new Riverside Theatres builds on our venue’s 35-year award-winning history as a cultural anchor for our community. Our redevelopment’s incredible new design and facilities will open the door to bringing the best in international and Australian performances directly to audiences from Parramatta and across NSW.”

Pierre Esber, Lord Mayor, City of Parramatta, said: “Parramatta is already the geographical heart of Sydney, and the redevelopment of Riverside Theatres will create an iconic architectural landmark that honours our First Nations heritage and connects deeply with the cultural fabric of our city.

“The reimagined Riverside Theatres will attract talent to Parramatta as we become an epicentre for creativity with our deep roots in arts and culture alongside the new Powerhouse Parramatta. We are committed to providing a thriving cultural precinct in Parramatta and this new design for Riverside brings us one step closer to our end goal,” he added.

Construction work on the Riverside Theatres redevelopment is expected to begin in late 2025, with doors to the reimagined cultural venue set to open in 2028.

Branko Miletic

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