Sydney's Minerva Theatre restoration plans head to community consultation

Gretel Packer announced on October 12 that residents and the arts community would be consulted on restoring Sydney's historic Minerva Theatre, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The discussions will examine how to preserve the building's art deco architecture while adapting it to contemporary safety, accessibility and performance requirements. The heritage-listed venue is in the Kings Cross and Potts Point area.

Lead architect Hannah Tribe of Tribe Studio Architects said the team also wanted to restore the building's distinctive tower. The revamped auditorium is expected to accommodate 700 to 800 people. That figure is a projected capacity, rather than a final approved specification.

The Minerva opened in 1939 and was subsequently used as a cinema and for other purposes. Packer's Sacred Firebird group previously acquired the property. The latest announcement concerns consultation on returning it to use as a theatre, with no reopening date given in the report.