VICTORIA Theatre and Concert Hall, the grand dame of Singapore’s performing arts scene, will open its doors tonight to host its first concert following a S$158 million (US$127.1 million) refurbishment.
Opening ahead of the Singapore International Festival of Arts in August for which it will host number of events, the building’s external walls were restored without alteration to its original design though theatre walls were reinterpreted and built from scratch.
Victoria Concert Hall, which was first launched in 1862, now offers new public spaces, changing rooms, a loading bay and a central atrium as an additional area for activities, according to a report on Today Online.
However the venue has also had to give up seating capacity to accommodate the new facilities. It now seats about 600 pax from 900 before, and, in order not to compromise acoustics, the concert hall’s balcony has been made smaller and higher.
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra will stage its homecoming performance tonight at the Victoria Concert Hall, the first performers to take the stage at the refurbished venue.
It will also be holding an open house event this weekend, offering guided tours and performances for the public.
