Congress Theatre

The Congress Theatre, designed in 1958 and built between 1961 and 1963, is a theatre and conference centre by Bryan and Nonnan Westwood and Partners, with engineering by Ove Arup and Partners and acoustic consultation by Hugh Creighton. The building has a reinforced concrete frame, with exposed aggregate to the ground-floor pilotis. The auditorium and foyer are clad with precast panels and feature large areas of glazing fixed directly to the metal-finished frame using butyl gaskets. Subsidiary areas are clad in blue-grey and stock brick, with textured cut-brick panels to the rear elevation overlooking Devonshire Park, topped by an aluminium-clad fly tower designed by Eric Peskett. The building's materials carefully express its functional parts.

The plan comprises three sections: a three-level foyer to the front, a 1,678-seat auditorium behind, with balcony and stalls, and two tiers of side slips that can be used for conferences and concerts. A flexible rostrum can be raised as an apron or lowered into the ground floor as an orchestra pit, behind a cloakroom and stores. A large stage and fly tower are located at the rear. The natural fall in ground level is utilized to accommodate the orchestra pit and dressing rooms beneath the stage.

The symmetrical front facade has five and two half bays, with a grid of glazing extending around one side of the building, set within an expressed concrete frame over recessed pilotis. This frame forms a high parapet and is emphasized by strong horizontal details including a second-floor band and a roof terrace. Three tiers, each with five windows, illuminate the auditorium when used for conferences.

The interior retains many original finishes. The generous foyers have concrete slab paving and blue brick, with a sloping ceiling formed by the precast balcony, the grid of which is highlighted by concealed lighting. The auditorium is lined with timber, with moulded balcony fronts and a plaster ceiling featuring deep soffits for concealed lighting, alongside a pattern of recessed spotlights. A demountable reflector shell and a flexible proscenium width are included. The acoustics are notable, with deep bass compensating for a short reverberation time. The Congress Theatre successfully combines improved acoustics with conference facilities, demonstrating careful consideration of design and planning.