National Institute of Dramatic Art
Long standing partnership
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In 1999 Sydney’s NIDA began a major theatre development project to add new theatres, rehearsal space, studios, exhibition space and administration facilities to their campus.
Since the completion of the Parade Theatre, RP Infrastructure has completed a major extension to house the graduate school, and continued to provide ongoing project management for NIDA’s annual capital works program involving alterations to provide for new functions and facilities.
Project Overview
RP Infrastructure managed NIDA’s initial project which included the magnificent 725 seat Parade Theatre with its two stages, basement green room, dressing rooms, orchestra pit, thrust stage, 49 flies and state-of-the art lighting and sound facilities. By 2016 two new floors had been added above the existing library to house the graduate school with multi-function and tutorial rooms, enabling NIDA to expand its functions and events offering. Throughout the long partnership we have continued to work with NIDA – through their capital works program – to define, design and deliver campus developments that provide improved facilities for students and staff.
Our Role
RP Infrastructure aims to provide a “total project management experience” for NIDA and we work closely with NIDA’s team to understand NIDA’s long-term vision and their business, as well as individual projects’ goals, and to translate these into appropriate architectural and design briefs. We closely manage procurement so that contracts allocate risk appropriately and provide NIDA for value for money, and deliver successful project outcomes.
Key Challenge
NIDA is a functioning teaching establishment for nearly 11 months of the year, with theatre productions and corporate functions, training courses and classes running outside of term time. As a result NIDA is a stakeholder-rich environment, and wide consultation must be undertaken and due consideration given when devising procurement strategies, drafting designs, understanding approvals processes, drafting contracts, and considering construction methods and programs.