The Mary’s Mount Centre, Loreto College Ballarat

The Mary ‘s Mount Centre, Loreto College in Ballarat is a new 500 seat auditorium of exceptional quality and acoustic presence, a flexible acoustic theatre suitable for all modes of performance, including voice, acting and dance with the main aim of seating large scale orchestras including the Melbourne Symphony, to small ensembles. The vision and intent of the theatre ‘s design was to combine the performance of the arts with the education of students in all aspects of the arts.

The location of the building in contrast to the adjacent historic Chapel was of importance. The theatre was architecturally designed to reflect the Chapel, and at the main entry, to visually frame the Chapel. The design of the theatre is refined simplicity in massing and in form, to place the Chapel on show. The Mary ‘s Mount Centre has been designed to sit comfortably within its surrounds, enhancing the performance of the college, both aesthetically and educationally. It is a space for creative contemplation, exhibition and appreciation.

A specific challenge was to bring together all functions under the one roof. The adaptation of space, combined with the ability to activate each space independently was met with a successful outcome to this challenge. Also, storage and acoustic separation poised a challenge, but with the combination of storage walls to accommodate equipment, a solution was achieved.

Each interior space within the building has been designed to interconnect, resulting in a space built for learning as well as the adaptation of spaces for acoustic requirements. The adjustable acoustic treatment displayed throughout the theatre is achieved through the use of curtains on the side walls which drop down to change reverberation times, assisting with the varying acoustic requirements of different performances.

Students of Loreto College have a great opportunity with the use of this theatre, to be educated in all aspects of the performing arts. The ‘Bio Box ‘ has been designed into the centre as both a space for teaching and learning, with fully equipped technical control of the stage, as well as storage for stage equipment. The practice rooms and Green Screen multi-media laboratory also visually connect to all main spaces, enhancing the teaching and learning possibilities. The interconnectivity of spaces enriches the learning experience through collaboration across all arts disciplines.