Rangiora's unusual and eyecatching Town Hall (opened in 1926) is getting an $11.5m makeover.
As well as seismic-strengthening, it's also being extended. The existing auditorium will get a new orchestra pit and audience seating. There'll be an additional 150-seat smaller theatre alongside, suitable for dance performances, as well as new changing rooms, rehearsal spaces and two 36-seat cinemas. The additions have received the approval of a heritage architect and NZ Historic Places Trust (as this is a Cat.2 Historic Building).
Movies have been missed in Rangiora since the earthquakes...but the council has not yet received a suitable operator's proposal that ticks all its boxes. With such small cinemas, it may not be viable to charge a cinema operator a commercial rental for the spaces and it's likely that, in order to secure an operator, a ratepayer subsidy would be required.
The controversial purple exterior will also be transformed...into a terracotta colour scheme. Architect Stewart Ross wanted a look that said 'slightly faded grande old dame'.
The whole project should be finished by Feb.2015. See the progress of the work [here]...
As well as seismic-strengthening, it's also being extended. The existing auditorium will get a new orchestra pit and audience seating. There'll be an additional 150-seat smaller theatre alongside, suitable for dance performances, as well as new changing rooms, rehearsal spaces and two 36-seat cinemas. The additions have received the approval of a heritage architect and NZ Historic Places Trust (as this is a Cat.2 Historic Building). Movies have been missed in Rangiora since the earthquakes...but the council has not yet received a suitable operator's proposal that ticks all its boxes. With such small cinemas, it may not be viable to charge a cinema operator a commercial rental for the spaces and it's likely that, in order to secure an operator, a ratepayer subsidy would be required.
The controversial purple exterior will also be transformed...into a terracotta colour scheme. Architect Stewart Ross wanted a look that said 'slightly faded grande old dame'.
The whole project should be finished by Feb.2015. See the progress of the work [here]...
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| I just hope this doesn't look...dull. |
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