Parramatta City Council has unveiled the winning design for the $188 million redevelopment of Riverside Theatres, with a design superteam consisting of COX Architecture with 3XN Architects, Aileen Sage, Turf Design Studio, and Bangawarra declared victorious.

Expanding the theatre’s capacity by more than double its existing amount, the winning design interweaves Indigenous narratives throughout its form and interior. When complete, the precinct will comprise a new 1,500-seat lyric theatre, a refurbished 760-seat Riverside Playhouse theatre, an all-new 420 seat black-box drama theatre and state-of-the-art 80 seat digital studio and cinema and enhanced public spaces.

The COX-led team was chosen out of five shortlisted entrants from across the globe, commended by the Jury for its focus on accessibility and artistic flexibility.

“The reimagined Riverside Theatres will be a major uplift in the cultural capacity for Parramatta and Greater Western Sydney,” says COX Design Director Joe Agius.

“Guided by a commitment to the location’s First Nations origin and sense of place, our goal was for a design that sensitively responds 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 and New South Wales.”

NSW Government Architect Abbie Galvin, who Chaired the Design Excellence Jury for the theatre, was glowing in her praise of the concept’s form and function.

“Design competitions provide us the privilege of hearing from the deep and diverse talent in the design industry. The five submissions each proposed exciting, thoughtful and highly original designs for this special river site. Thank you to all the design teams who invested their energy and talents with such generosity, and thank you to the City of Parramatta Council for running a very professional process,” she says.

“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.”

NSW Minister for the Arts John Graham believes the reinvigorated theatre will have an array of benefits for the entire Western Sydney region.

“Riverside Theatres has a rich and important history in Western Sydney. The redeveloped theatres will open across the river from the Powerhouse Parramatta, two significant landmarks that will transform and reimagine Parramatta’s cultural precinct,” he says.

“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.

“I’m also excited about the flow-on benefits for the night time and visitor economies, particularly with the opening of the Western Sydney Airport. The Riverside Theatres redevelopment stands as a testament to this commitment, offering a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the arts, for generations of artists and audiences to come.”

Construction is due to commence late next year, with an eye on opening in 2028.