Marrickville Medal for Conservation

The Enmore Theatre was announced the winner of the Marrickville Medal for Conservation and commended for Interior Adaption at the recent Inner West Council’s 2022 Built Environment Awards.

The Marrickville Medal for Conservation has been awarded annually since 1995 and was one of the first of its kind in New South Wales. It celebrates built conservation works that contribute to the understanding and preservation of the Inner West’s rich cultural and architectural heritage.

In March 2020, the pandemic saw the Enmore forced to close its doors. With the stage dark, it provided the venue’s owners, Century Venues, an opportunity to bring forward a planned restoration of the iconic Newtown venue.

The restoration works included reinstating the side wing balconies in accordance with the original 1936 architecture, a full renovation of the elaborate art deco ceiling and its intricate lighting design, reinstatement of the original 24 metre art deco bomber light and upgrades to the building’s fire safety protection.

The new works also saw the instalment of two and a half kilometres of state-of-the-art LED strip lighting. The lighting can be computer programmed to synchronise with an artist or band’s performance resulting in a spectacular visual experience for the audience.

Managing Director of Century, Elia Eliades, who has owned and operated the historic theatre since the mid-1980s said, “The Enmore is the only theatre in Sydney from the Art Deco movement that remains in its original condition. It was therefore imperative that the restoration works remained true to the original style.”

Builder, Designer and Project Manager for Century, Daniel Guida, was the person charged with this major undertaking. “What started as an upgrade designed to work around performances, expanded into a full scale operation,’ said Guida. “With the forced shutdowns, we took the opportunity to fill the auditorium with scaffold and complete far-reaching heritage reinstatements.”

Chief Operating Officer for Century, Sam Nardo, said this major commitment allowed the group to reinstate the side balcony extensions to the dress circle level. “This has totally changed the relationship between the house and the stage,” said Nardo. “ The whole balcony level was refloored and re-racked to secure perfect sightlines from every seat. Artists and audiences now enjoy greater intimacy and connection.”