Brilliant Sustainable Refurbishment Solution for Costa Hall–Deakin University

Optimal Venue Solution recycled and refurbished the existing concert 1530 auditorium seats, mechanisms and steel work for Costal Hall Seating Upgrade Project. Their thorough analysis and experienced understanding of the seating mechanisms, ensured that they preserved the existing seating and saved expenditure.  

Deakin Universities’ Geelong campus houses the well-known Costa Hall–Concert auditorium, only a ten minute stroll from the Geelong Performing Arts Centre. This facility is not only utilised by the university but is readily patronised by the local community for numerous performing arts programs.

The refreshed stalls seating facing the stage, clearly shows the vivid blue of the seats. There is also a balcony section above the staging, behind the curtain with further refreshed seating for approximately 80 people.

The Concert Auditorium Refurbishment Requirements & Challenge/s

After 20 years of service, the auditorium seating fabric and carpet were in need of a facelift and DDA compliance needed to be addressed. The Deakin Universities’ facility management staff decided to take advantage of the Covid-19 situation to upgrade the auditorium and maintain its status as a landmark PAC in Geelong and surrounding areas.

The revitalised stalls and LHS dress circle balcony.

Sustainable Outcome: Saved Budget and Protected Our Environment

Optimal Venue Solutions were asked to submit a review to DEAKIN regarding the refurbishment of auditorium for the 1530 seats. Mark Jeffery and his team reviewed 1530 seats and advised Deakin University that reupholstering the existing seats would be a viable option.

Benefits of Experience and Seating Functionality Knowledge

Optimal Venue Solutions tendered with recommendations to supply new and refurbish the existing.

Once removed the seating pads and backs were neatly stacked on the stage prior to being delivered for recovering to our seating manufacturer. This process allowed Optimal to recheck the actual seat padding for quality assurance.

Quality Assured with Australian Manufacturing Partnership

Optimal Venue Solutions with their vast contacts in Victoria and Australia wide have provided a refurbish auditorium with fabrics sourced via Wortley Group. Optimal were awarded the tender because of their thorough review

Project Management with Seamless Seat and Carpet Removal

Optimal Venue Solution project managed the removal all the existing seating, steel stanchions and carpeting from the auditorium. The seats were duly inspected, existing covers removed and reupholstered ready for return to site and installed.

Each metal seat steel stanchions was individually numbered and initially staked, then stored on site for reuse after the hall was re-carpeted. It was important to replace the frames in their original positioning to ensure that all the frames refitted neatly together. This also insured no wastage of frames or seat numbers.

A close up view of the RHS dress circle balcony with the frames removed in readiness for storing.

Shown here are several angles of the isle lettering. All the isle lettering needed to also be preserved, and all the letters were carefully removed and reinstalled when the hall was re-carpeted. Once again this was done to preserve the halls heritage and ensure that the majority of the components were saved and recycled.

Quality Seating Fabric Sourced

A blue velour fabric was decided upon as it felt as if it mimicked the beautiful stain glass windows in the walls of the hall. The seating was recovered and redelivered then reinstalled on the existing steel stanchions upon the new carpet in time for the booked concert in February.

The original stunning stain glass windows became even more of a feature by reflecting the vivid velvet blue in the seating upholstery.

The Tangible Results: A Sustainable, Recycled Solution Designed to Save Money and Existing Quality Seats

Optimal Venue Solutions successfully analysed and planned a sustainable, refurbishment solution for this large concert auditorium site, with the removal, resupply and installation of refreshed recycled seating on time and have assisted Deakin University to further their budget constraints to be used for their other projects. The refreshed Costa Hall now looks stylishly contemporary.

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