Sydney’s Historic Majestic Theatre Renovated Into Daylit Apartments

The <a href="http://www.hillthalis.com.au/index.php?id=117">Majestic Theatre</a> in Sydney, Australia has had many lives - as a theatre, a cinema, a roller skating rink, and now as an apartment building. Originally built in 1921, the theatre with a highly decorative facade on New Canterbury Road now features 27 one- and two-bedroom apartments along with a restaurant and retail space on the ground floor. Surry Hills-based <a href="http://www.hillthalis.com.au/" target="_blank">Hill Thalis Architecture</a> handled the adaptive reuse project and made sure to infuse each apartment with plenty of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/daylighting/">daylighting</a> and ventilation.

Located in Petersham to the west of Sydney, the Majestic Theatre Apartments adaptive reuse project created new housing out of a historic building.

The original brick Majestic Theatre was built in 1921 with an elaborately rendered facade.

In 1953 the project was modified into a more contemporary cinema, and then in 1979 it became the Majestic Roller Skating Rink and acted as local social club up until its recent closure.

There was no sense in tearing down the structure, so <a href="http://www.hillthalis.com.au/" target="_blank">Hill Thalis</a> created a plan to renovate it into a new mixed-use project.

The ground floors provide space for commerce and retail - including a street facing cafè.

The upper levels contain a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments that were fitted into the existing building volume, roof profile and perimeter walls.

Two generous voids inside provide space for residential circulation as well as a semi outdoor garden.

Each apartment features ample glazing, which supplies lots of sunlight and natural ventilation.

Original details give the apartment building considerable charm.

A vintage roller skating sign adorns the stairwell.

Generous balconies provide outdoor space for residents.