Abstract:
The abandoned building, a constructed wasteland in the urban fabric, is a constant reminder of what was once. The structure and arrangement of spaces of a building reveal the history of its site, its resulting form influenced by surrounding buildings and context. If left alone, the building will eventually deteriorate until the damage is irreversible and what is left is a ruinous site showing only the remnants of its former life or it is shown the bulldozer, wiping all physical evidence of its existence on the site. However some buildings do not succumb to this devastation. The abandoned building has the opportunity to be reworked and altered, retaining its original history and value. The St James Complex on Queen Street in Auckland, New Zealand, is an historic building which is currently closed to the public, the four major spaces within having been unused for the past five years. To these spaces, both theatre and cinema uses have been added at various points in the building’s 86 years of life and their contrasting styles create a disorderly combination of disjointed spaces. The current owner’s plan for the complex is to mothball the St James Theatre and demolish the remaining cinemas to make room for an apartment block. This disregards the building’s history and development entirely. Can the St James Complex be rehabilitated to be put to new use whilst regaining its historical architectural/ urban significance within the cityscape? What method of adaptive reuse is the best approach to achieving a design that incorporates new elements into the original theatrical spaces while maintaining its economic viability? The St James Complex has had a vibrant life since it first opened in 1928 and the additional spaces and alterations which transformed the complex have only added to its lively atmosphere. It is unfortunate that the building has succumbed to neglect, however there is still the opportunity to reinvent the complex through adaptive reuse and bring back the dynamic nature the St James Complex once had on Queen Street. This thesis is titled ‘Theatre Dirt is Good Dirt’ for good reason. In 1948 the Australasian tour of the Old Vic Company with Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh was brought to the St James Theatre where three plays were performed.1 At the end of one of the performances, Jack Cook, who worked backstage, was called onto the stage by Sir Laurence Olivier to shake his hand goodbye. Having been covered in dust and stage dirt, Cook said “look I’m covered in dirt,” to which Sir Olivier replied, “Jack, don’t worry about it, theatre dirt is good dirt.” This story reinforces the reasoning behind redesigning the complex through adaptation of the existing building. The introduction of new spaces in the complex both supports and enhances the building’s original function. Its history is crucial to the future development of the site and cannot be discarded. This thesis aims to retain part of the building’s character, heritage and rawness, the dirt of the St James Complex, by exposing and working with the original building fabric and introducing new building fabric which is clearly legible as new work.