Regent theatre heritage plan

The Regent Theatre, Brisbane, was built in the 1920s and holds a long and proud place in Brisbane's development history. The theatre was designed in a style reminiscent of a by-gone era in glamorous Hollywood, mixed with a touch of Romanesque and Gothic influence.

The Regent Theatre Heritage Plan (RTHP) (PDF, 7.6 MB), released by the Coordinator-General on 13 December 2010, ensures many of the architectural features and artefacts from the theatre will be saved and re-used in a major city redevelopment planned for the theatre and neighbouring Wintergarden Centre and Hilton Hotel.

The RTHP sets out the significant heritage aspects of the theatre, and details the appropriate policies to manage it so that its values are retained for future use and appreciation.

The original gargoyles and grills, famous Regent sign and grand entrance lobby from the historic theatre complex in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall will be on display, putting the cultural and heritage heart back into the centre of the redevelopment.

More of the original furniture, fittings and plasterwork will be used in the new development and the expanded interpretive display than was originally proposed.

When Brookfield Multiplex Pty Ltd (BMX) first lodged plans to redevelop this site, the Queensland Heritage Council advised that the only heritage-listed items would be the entrance and grand foyers and the marble staircase, which were required to be preserved in-situ.

Subsequently, the State Government directed that the plans would be subject to approval of a heritage management plan.

Another key condition imposed was that no works were to be undertaken prior to the Director-General of the Department of Infrastructure and Planning (DIP) approving a development floor plan, and the RTHP.

Approval history of the RTHP

  • 13 December 2010: the final RTHP was approved by the department's Director-General.
  • 3 December 2010: a final draft RTHP was submitted from BMX to the department. The submission follows extensive consultation with BMX and Save the Regent community group, to achieve optimal reuse of elements of the existing Regent Theatre in the new development. The department is now satisfied that the final draft RTHP submitted by BMX on 3 December 2010 has incorporated all fittings, fixtures and furnishings which can be appropriately accommodated either in the interpretive collage or in locations within the redeveloped Regent Theatre.

    Following the submission of the final draft RTHP, the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) advised the department that the reuse options proposed by BMX in the revised draft RTHP for the decorative plaster panels and features, and the moveable items from the existing Regent Theatre, are consistent with its views on how these elements should be dealt with as part of the redevelopment. DERM also observed that the final interpretive collage proposed by BMX will be of a scale that can only accommodate smaller items and that the real usefulness of this approach is that this interpretive installation will not compete with its surroundings. The placement of paintings and furniture items contained in the existing theatre complex in the more secure spaces proposed by BMX is also supported.

    The final treatment of non-listed fittings, fixtures, artefacts and plasterwork from the Regent Theatre are considered to now be in compliance with the Ministerial Direction of 19 February 2009 and, as such, comply with the requirements of the Burra Charter.

  • 15 June 2010: following an inspection of the Regent Theatre complex by departmental officers, DERM and Brisbane City Council (BCC), advice to BMX was prepared regarding the extent to which existing non-listed fixtures and fittings and decorative plasterwork might be effectively used in the redevelopment and the most effective treatment for non-listed heritage artefacts stored within the theatre complex.
  • 7 May 2010: BMX provided the department with a copy of the draft RTHP to enable DERM and the BCC to review the draft and provide comments to BMX prior to a final RTHP being submitted to the department's Coordinator-General for approval.
  • March 2010: BMX established a Heritage Management Plan Consultation Committee for the purpose of progressing formulation of the RTHP. Representatives from the department, BCC, DERM and Save the Regent community group were invited to participate as members of the committee.
  • 30 July 2009: following approval of the development application Save the Regent community group lodged an appeal against the BCC's decision. This appeal was withdrawn on 15 January 2010.
  • 12 May 2009: the development application was approved subject to conditions by BCC. One of the conditions imposed by BCC resulted from the 2009 Ministerial Direction which specified a number of conditions which the state required the BCC to impose on the development application.

    The conditions included that:

    • the development must include three multifunction auditoria, one with a minimum seating capacity of 300 persons and two with a seating capacity of 60 persons each
    • at weekends the auditoria may only be used for publicly accessible box office cinema movies
    • the auditoria may be used at any time for the Brisbane International Film Festival and other similar events
    • the redesigned theatre shall be named the Regent and the proposed office tower the Regent Tower
    • no development works are to be carried out prior to the Coordinator-General of the Department of Infrastructure and Planning approving a development floor plan and a RTHP.
  • 19 February 2009: following advice from the Queensland Heritage Council that the entrance foyer, main foyer and the grand marble staircase of the Regent Theatre only were proposed to be placed on the Queensland Heritage Register, the Deputy Premier made the second Ministerial Direction.
  • 25 February 2008 and 19 February 2009: the Honourable Paul Lucas MP, Deputy Premier and then Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, made Notices of Ministerial Direction to BCC in respect to the development application. The 25 February 2008 Ministerial Direction was issued to stop further consideration of the development application until the Chief Executive of the Department of Infrastructure and Planning could gain an understanding of the remaining heritage value of the Regent Theatre and of artefacts contained within the theatre.
  • 7 February 2008: a development application was lodged with BCC by ISPT Pty Ltd to redevelop the Regent Theatre, Wintergarden Shopping Centre and Hilton Hotel on the Queen Street Mall.

* Project information supplied by proponent and subject to change.