The Arts Centre is the culmination of a 20 year vision for the Diocesan School for Girls, creating not only a centre of excellence in performing arts but also a symbol of community and student achievement.

The building incorporates teaching and practice facilities for music, drama and dance, together with a gallery reception foyer & 1000-seat Auditorium, with support facilities to accommodate assemblies, lectures, concerts and both dramatic and musical performance.

Designed in association with Upton Architects and constructed in two distinct stages; the Music and Drama School forming Stage 1 and the Auditorium with its foyer and support facilities forming Stage 2; the new facility is a flagship building that marks the last stage of a masterplan completed for the school in 2005.

This new Centre for the Arts is a benchmark facility not only for schools, but in the broader community.

An occasion to remember

This project brings together what is learnt in the classroom, for either drama, dance or music, and elevates it into the professional realm. Treated as two separate but interconnected wings, the brief was to enable students in all the performing arts to realise their true abilities in a professional environment. 

Given the broad history of the arts offered at the School, and also the scale of the performances from soloists to musical theatre, the brief required a high degree of flexibility.  The Centre had to suit the broadest range of uses and modes of performance, creating the same sense of professionalism, irrespective of the number of students on stage, or guests in the audience. 

While the Arts Centre can accommodate 1,000 guests, it can easily achieve the same outcome without compromising sight lines or acoustic quality for 400 guests.

Students, staff and visitors will appreciate the large digital screen in the foyer that wraps around the central drum displaying art from the students. And the high standard of amenities, including the sophisticated bar and box office area and bathrooms. 

As with all great theatre experiences, a sense of arrival and welcome is through an impressive foyer that links all levels and parts of the building, and showcases the Girls’ Visual Arts on digital and physical media.

The Jewel in the Crown

The project has delivered purpose-built facilities to replace a collage of smaller buildings and to reveal the Chapel – the Jewel in the Crown on Campus, expressing a clear statement of welcome and procession to the Arts Centre.

The palette of materials is elegant and simple to compliment a collegiate feel to the existing Campus.  A subtle ‘raked’ pattern of leaves on the white exposed aggregate concrete, creates a sense of movement from the Auditorium that becomes a rhythm of blades that wrap around the Foyer. 

Each structural element is gently folded and warped, whilst supporting a finely graded perforated aluminium screen that filters the light and becomes a dynamic ribbon that shrouds the Foyer and unifies the buildings. The geometry and subtle folding of the screen provides a backdrop to the distinctive heritage Chapel that is framed by the understated and respectful form of the Music and Drama School. 

The leaf motif in the concrete and perforated veil echoes the avenue of established trees to the school’s Northern boundary.

Reflecting Functionality

The exterior expression of the building is based on concepts of ‘movement’ and ‘costume’ to reflect the performances within.

The folding vertical blades of the facade link with slices of glazing to recall an unfolding pattern of movement and the varying graduation of glass in this elevation also hints at the functions within. Transparent glass is provided at the western end that frames the atrium, while darker glazer responds to the black box environment of the auditorium.