NH Architecture and Snøhetta renew Melbourne's Ian Potter State Theatre

Approximately 75,000 etched brass spheres form the cascading ceiling of Melbourne's 2,000-seat Ian Potter State Theatre, and each one was removed, cleaned and reinstalled during a refurbishment by NH Architecture and Snøhetta.

What did the renovation touch?

The studios updated and expanded the theatre, originally completed in 1984 by architect Roy Grounds and interior designer John Truscott. The scope included:

• Refurbishment of the ornate auditorium
• Restoration of the brass-detailed ceiling
• Addition of new backstage facilities
• A 14-metre-deep excavation that created a rehearsal studio and adjoining function room
• New aisles, an extended balcony and lifts for accessibility

Snøhetta documented the existing fabric to determine which elements to preserve, restore, adapt or "carefully reproduce".

Why a retention-first approach?

The studios took a "retention-first approach" to preserve what Snøhetta called "the strength of Truscott's interior", characterised by red carpets, brass balustrades, and a brass and gold-leaf ceiling.

"Developed in close consultation with Heritage Victoria, the retention-first approach maintained the richness and continuity of the interior while reducing waste and avoiding the unnecessary replacement of original materials," the studio said.

NH Architecture director Hamish Lyon added: "Our task was to understand which qualities were fundamental to Roy Grounds' and John Truscott's original intent, then carefully coordinate the many heritage, performance, technical and construction requirements around them."

How does the new acoustic ceiling work?

Improvements to the auditorium's acoustic and technical performance centred on a new custom-moulded acoustic ceiling composed of 20 panels. According to Snøhetta, these panels feature more than 27,000 concave and convex baubles that diffuse sound across the interior.

Timber battens around the rear auditorium wall serve as a sound-absorbing surface. The auditorium received new custom-designed seats that closely resemble the originals, while a new timber floor recalls the red tones of the original carpet.

What role does the project play in Melbourne's arts strategy?

The theatre is now open to the public, and the intervention marks the "first completed milestone" of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation. The Victorian Government describes the precinct initiative as the largest cultural infrastructure project in Australia's history.

"The renewal prepares the theatre for the next generation of performances while retaining the qualities that have defined the experience of the Roy Grounds-designed building for more than four decades," Snøhetta said.

In a closing statement, the studio added: "Together, the auditorium and backstage works demonstrate how a major heritage venue can continue to evolve as a living performance environment – becoming more inclusive, technically capable and responsive to everyone who uses it, whilst retaining the identity that contributes to its cultural significance."

The completed auditorium now anchors the first delivered piece of a transformation that will reshape how Melbourne stages, rehearses and presents performance work for decades to come.