The big reveal
A breath of fresh air for cultural experiences in the Southern Highlands is now just weeks away.
Get ready for the big reveal of our extensive redevelopment of Bowral Memorial Hall in late February, presenting the community with a beautiful, purpose-designed venue for local and touring music performances, with café, exhibition and functions facilities, and office spaces.
“Great care has been taken to elevate the acoustics, finishes and facilities to a very high standard, making the transformation of this cherished heritage venue the largest investment Council has made toward a community facility for some time,” says Project Manager Ned Tripkovic.
Designed for greater enjoyment of musical performances, the central concert hall features exquisite timber panelling. There is retractable seating for 125 patrons, and a maximum capacity of 300 people for functions, depending on the combination of retractable seating, standard seating, and standing-room chosen.
The ceiling profile has been modified to significantly enhance acoustics, with an overhead reflector and rear-side walls creating an orchestral shell suited to unamplified performances on stage. “We reconfigured the original staging area in line with expert testing which revealed that the sound spectrum fell short of what was required for a quality experience.” Ned said.
The improved performance space is expected to attract touring orchestral concerts, chamber music, piano recitals, jazz concerts and contemporary bands, in addition to local artists, broadening the performance arts offering for Bowral and beyond.
For the comfort of surrounding business owners and residents, high performance glazed windows have been installed, in combination with acoustically treated finishes, will minimise sound for adjacent properties.
Serving the community in many ways, there will be an on-site café, and facilities for seminars and exhibitions. Bound to be popular for private functions, guests enter through a majestic foyer, and the auditorium opens out to a spacious courtyard. There’s an intimate Supper Room and a kitchen available for catering. Upstairs offices optimise available space, while the basement has been excavated for state-of-the-art operations, behind the scenes.
“We wholeheartedly welcome the opportunity to present concerts in the refurbished Bowral Memorial Hall, which is destined to become the prestige destination for musical performance in the Southern Highlands and will certainly attract patronage from local and visiting artists,” said Dr Allan Stiles, Artistic Director Southern Highlands Symphony Orchestra.
Council looks forward to collaborations with local music and cultural programs that will take arts in the Shire to a new level, with the ultimate goal of this evolving into an arts centre on a much larger scale.
Learn more about the project at wsc.nsw.gov.au/Project-Directory.