WINNING DESIGN FOR NEW RIVERSIDE THEATRES ANNOUNCED

The winning Broadway-style design, led by COX Architecture with 3XN Architects, Aileen Sage, Turf Design Studio and Bangarawarra, will more than double Riverside Theatre's current capacity to 2,780 seats. The design and increased capacity will help establish the venue as a world-class performing arts centre.

Along with a new 1,500-seat lyric theatre, the venue includes a refurbished 760-seat Riverside Playhouse theatre, a new 420-seat black-box drama theatre and a state-of-the-art 80-seat digital studio, along with a cinema and enhanced public spaces.

The winning design was selected unanimously by the jury from a field of five final entries by internationally acclaimed design teams. Tghe cohesive team crafted the reimagined Riverside Theatres to global best-practice standards, with a strong focus on accessibility and artistic flexibility. 

Joe Agius, Design Director with COX Architecture, spoke on behalf of the winning team. "The reimagined Riverside Theatres will be a major uplift in the cultural capacity for Parramatta and Greater Western Sydney. Guided by a commitment to the location's First Nations origin and sense of place, our goal was for a design that responds sensitively to both the natural beauty of the river and the site's city context."

City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Pierre Esber said the Riverside redevelopment is a monumental step in Parramatta's journey to become a global city. "Parrammatta 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 fabcric of our city," Cr Esber said,

"Once complete, Riverside Theatres will be a world-class performing arts centre featuring state-of-the-art facilities and enhanced public spaces that will double its capacity ... Our community will soon have access to a facility that will attract major Australian works and the best of Broadway and the West End shows to Parramatta for the first time."

NSW Minister for Art, John Graham, expounded, "Riverside Theatres has a rich and important history in Western Sydney. The redeveloped theatres will open across the river from Powerhouse Parramatta, two significant landmarks that will transform and reimagine Parramatta;s cultural precinct."

"The redevelopment will ensure people across Western Sydney have a new and reimagined performing arts centre that will allow the arts community and audiences to enjoy more performances on a far bigger stage."

Construction for the reimagined Riverside Theatres will start in late 2025 with doors to the performing arts facility set to open in 2028.