Gowings and State Theatre restoration wins UDIA best Urban Renewal award
The Gowings and State Theatre Buildings restoration and hotel conversion has received an award for best Urban Renewal from The Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA).
As part of the UDIA NSW Austral Bricks Awards for Excellence, the project was deemed by judges as an “outstanding example of the adaptive reuse and conservation of two underutilised State heritage-listed buildings.”
It was noted that despite encountering a range of construction difficulties to complete the intended 196 room hotel, restaurant and day spa, Woodhead Architects managed to overcome the obstacles and keep the operating theatre functional throughout the $55 million redevelopment.
The Gowings building, once regarded as one of the most prominent and famous stores in Sydney, eventually closed and was purchased in 2006 for $68 million by the neighbouring, Amalgamated Holdings Limited, who have owned the art deco style State Theatre since it was built in 1929.
The judges further added that the renewal of the iconic buildings ensured their ongoing survival and provided luxury tourist accommodation to the market and enhance the character of the CBD.
