First look at the new revitalised Avoca Beach Theatre

Unveiling five new artist impression renders of the Avoca Beach Theatre

ENTRIES FOR EMAILS OF SUPPORT CLOSE FRIDAY 18th NOVEMBER (details below)

To show your support for the new design you can email council at the link below. Please include your name and address in the email. If the button doesn’t work you can email ask@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au with the subject “PAN-268705 – DA/42661/2012/E – Supported”

We can’t tell you how excited we are to finally show you these five new artist impressions of the revitalised Avoca Beach Theatre that we’ve been working on with Johnson Projects and CKDS Architects.

These artist impressions are different to past images, with changes internally and externally, delivering an exciting cultural hub continuing to serve our community for another 70 years! Internally, the changes mean there will be a smaller number of people in the building as a whole; externally, we have focussed on mirroring the natural elements of Avoca Beach whilst giving a nod to a bygone era of cinema.

The first image shows Avoca Beach Theatre from Avoca Drive, proudly showcasing our beloved old Theatre – shining in its nostalgic glory.

The second image helps us imagine how it will look as we drive towards the Theatre from Avoca Village.

You know how environmentally conscious we are, and so we’ve carefully designed cross ventilation from bifold doors, a light coloured roof and solar panels. The jewel in the crown of our environmental packager is geothermal heating and cooling which utilises the earth’s stored temperature to heat and cool buildings, reducing energy usage by 70%.  Together these and other features minimise our impact on our country’s resources.

We love our local native plants and the joy they bring to our lives and to the lives of our birdlife. To reduce water usage, we have carefully chosen native plants that need less water and will thrive in our salty air. Our landscaping provides a gentle, everchanging natural environment – a soothing place to sit and enjoy a coffee or wine surrounded by the sight and sounds of nature.

Inspired by Avoca’s famous rock platform and the beautiful trees around Avoca Lake, we have connected with the natural materials of our beautiful area by featuring this same coloured stone in our facade, echoing Norman’s family’s outdoor cinema stone fence and repeating the timbers of the lake in beautiful wood work.

The curved staircase brings to mind the golden age of cinema, a feature through the day that becomes a magical place with golden twinkling lights at night.

We are very excited about the upstairs Piano Bar come cinema, looking across Hunter Park to the sea. When not being used as a cinema, it becomes a vibrant live music space, with music in the round or from the stage, with friendly food service, a bar and the possibility of dancing and more.

You will be already aware how we have been working on making the existing Theatre completely disability accessible. Access to the Arts for All is our mantra! Our the Piano Bar has been carefully designed to be completely disability accessible – from footpath to seat, not a single step!

Under the Piano Bar is our small café where the doors can be thrown open into the garden.  This means, no matter the weather, you can sit and enjoy the outdoors.  The walls are moveable, so the cafe can become part of our 54 seat theatre, giving the gold-class experience of being served a meal to enjoy with your movie.

The ground floor has our very special intimate 32 seat theatre designed and decorated to become a permanent favourite.

Tucked in the very centre of this is our commercial kitchen to serve you simple, fresh food.

The third image is made as if you are standing at the surf club end of Hunter Park. We have intentionally delineated the Theatre element from the residential units that face the eastern end of Hunter Park and onto Vine Street. External colours, materials and textures have been carefully chosen to complement each other and not compete – allowing each area to have its own personality. Three apartments face Hunter Park with the Penthouse receiving the best views from the light filled veranda, and two units facing Vine Street with views to the sea. Timber screening on the units’ verandahs give privacy to the residential units.

The fourth image is of the apartments from Vine Street, with the entrance to the units. Once again, it’s repeating the natural surrounds of Avoca Beach in stone and timber, whilst being in keeping with surrounding apartments. Here also is the entrance to the underground basement parking.

The final image is of the front of the Theatre at night – a magical place making happy memories for another 70 years.

As you know, our DA is fully approved. These changes are modifications to that approved DA and do not affect the approval we already have.

We are over the moon with the modifications, providing two small new cinemas and our Piano Bar come cinema beside our existing Theatre.  Paying homage to the much-loved old Theatre with a nod to the Golden Age of Cinema, whilst drawing in the beautiful natural Avoca Beach elements of timber and stone on the facade, the Theatre will be a beacon of cultural and social interchange, a much-loved part of Central Coast life.

The modifications are currently with council for approval. We hope that you love it as much as we do.

You are such an encouragement to us, such wonderful, supportive friends. Thank you for taking this journey with us.

Norman and Beth Hunter and all the Avoca Beach Theatre Team.

To show your support for the new design you can email council at the link below. Please include your name and address in the email. If the button doesn’t work you can email ask@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au with the subject “PAN-268705 – DA/42661/2012/E – Supported”