Lismore City Hall was originally built in 1965 by Bennett Constructions. We were fortunate to have been awarded the refurbishment and extensions contract this year, some 50 years later.

The works included the refurbishment of the Auditorium, Stage, Foyer, Fountain Room, Commercial Kitchen, amenities, and the reconfiguration of the entrances and the NORPA Box Office. The construction of the back of house facility included Green Rooms, goods hoist and lift.

The exterior of the building has been upgraded to enhance the natural environment, and to provide a welcoming facility for the community.

The complete upgrade of the services, especially to staging and audio equipment set the real challenges.

All stakeholders are delighted with the outcomes.

Serious consideration has been given to energy efficiency with the inclusion of Solar Power, Rainwater retention, and Gas services. This will dramatically impact the on-costs of the refurbished facility.

We were delighted to use all local labour and trades for the delivery of the project except for the screw piles. (And this is only because there is no local contractor for this discipline.) With a very tight program timeframe, and no option for extending this, we knew how challenging this would be.

We carried out over 10% more work and lost nearly forty (40) days with inclement weather, but still achieved practical completion, and certification before the opening night of NORPA’s first performance for the new season.