Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat

Work for this project involved a detailed feasibility and master planning exercise for the Ballarat City Council on Her Majesty’s Theatre, a significant heritage listed building in the heart of Ballarat. The preparation of a Conservation Management Plan in association with McDougall & Vines enabled us to understand clearly the degree of significance associated with the development and subsequent adaptation of the original theatre. It was possible to develop a policy framework for conservation and adaptation to meet the increasing operational demands, whilst maintaining the integrity of this significant asset.

We were then able to develop and test issues of conformance, compliance and operational imperatives for the theatre. This involved managing consultations with the theatre management, multiple stakeholders and the city council on the competing demands; including facilitating public forum to test the theatre management’s understanding of ‘needs’.

The brief was then tested via a series of options for adaptation and enhancement, and an agreed staged proposal endorsed.

The project is now being reviewed by the client and moves into the financial modelling and funding stage prior to implementation.