The Queenstown Memorial Hall upgrade working party hosted an open day on Saturday, taking tours of the existing facilities for interested parties to understand what is planned and provide feedback. Tracey Roxburgh went along with her camera.
At the Queenstown Memorial Hall on Saturday are (from left) Queenstown Memorial Hall working party chairwoman Cath Gilmour, members Steve Wilde and Dave Geddes, with project manager Steve Hewland. The group hopes construction on the new building, likely to be known as the Queenstown Memorial Centre, will begin in June, with completion earmarked for December 2012. Photos by Tracey Roxburgh.
• Mezzanine floor removed, retaining a small rear section as a lighting and sound booth with 12 permanent seats and, below the mezzanine, storage of tiered seating.
• 172 automated retractable tiered seats.
• Retractable 5m-high wall enabling the main hall to be divided.
• New dual access from the foyer
• Matching side stairs on to the stage along with a mobile ramp for disabled access.
• Acoustic wood panelling through the hall, replacing paint in "high-traffic" areas.
• Heat pumps/air conditioning/ventilation.
• Replacement of doors between the supper room and main hall.
• Wooden flooring.
The existing Memorial Hall exterior. The blue line visible in the foreground of this picture shows where the foyer extension will end, resulting in a covered entrance and much larger foyer space, to be known as the CLT Foyer.
• Removal of the cross and replacement with a more appropriate RSA symbol, nearer to the front of the building.
• Modern frontage provided by new lobby and external foyer.
• Focus signage and noticeboards on frontage facing Stanley St.
• Changed road alignment to allow for lobby/external foyer extension, provide better public space outside, and a safer pedestrian environment as part of the adjacent Memorial St pavement rehabilitation project.
• Improved disabled access through provision of adjacent disabled car park and dropped kerb.
• Exterior paint, in conjunction with the adjacent rugby and squash club rooms.
The existing supper room, which will also undergo a refurbishment, with the biggest change a refit of the windows - replacing the existing perspex windows with strengthened glass to protect against breakage.
• Supper room Replace perspex windows with double-glazed glass.
• Alter folding doors.
• Repaint and recarpet.
• Install blinds to replace curtains.
• Kitchen Integrate rubbish and recycling storage.
• Provide oven-hood ventilation, allowing barbecues and spits to be used inside.
The existing Returned Services Association lounge, the Gallipoli Room, which will be refurbished and extended.
• Gallipoli Room New fire egress stair.
• Integration of existing sound and lighting room to create new bar and display space for recognising RSA history.
• Bannister wheelchair lift to improve disabled access.
The existing foyer, showing the ticketing booth to the right and the entrance to the left, with access to the supper room at the top of this image. The working party plans to move the ticketing booth, extend the entrance and triple the floor space of the entire area - likely to be known as the CLT Foyer in recognition of the Central Lakes Trust's $1 million grant for the project.
• Extended foyer and new external lobby entrance to triple the existing space.
• Removal of large steps and relocation of ticketing office, allowing disabled access.
• New signage space.
• Additional women's toilets.
• Stage, backstage and storage space Stage roof raised, with concrete beams blocking scenery to be lifted and replaced.
• Stage right wing extended by incorporating existing dressing room.
• Raising storeroom to stage height and relocating piano storage.
• Downstairs changing rooms Providing covered access from both sides of the stage.
• Installing heating, painting and laying concrete floor with vinyl.
• Lining main wall of changing room one with mirrors and providing a piano, allowing its use as a practice room.
