Plans unveiled to transform a 90s arthouse cinema in Paddington

Plans to redevelop an arthouse cinema in Sydney's Paddington have been released, with the charming movie theatre set to be redeveloped into an eight-storey, mixed-use building.

Located on a 1,138-square-metre corner block at 17 Oxford Street, the building is brimming with history. Originally constructed in 1946 as an industrial facility, the premises was obtained by Palace Cinemas in 1995, who engaged Tonkin Zulaikha Greer to design a four-screen cineplex. In 1996, Nicole Kidman - with her then husband Tom Cruise in tow - officially declared the Palace Verona Cinema open for business for the premiere screening of her film To Die For.

In 2021, it was purchased by developers WT Malouf and Fenbury who announced plans to expand the building and its offerings. Designed by architecture firm Scott Carver, the mixed-use building will still house two floors of subterranean cinemas. Retail offerings will occupy the ground floor followed by four levels of commercial offices. An activated 620-square-metre rooftop will accommodate a dining and beverage outlet.

Doug Southwell, project architect and co-managing director of Scott Carver, said the reimagined design of Verona is a nod to the site's rich cinematic history with contemporary elements interwoven, as demonstrated in the retention of the former industrial brick on the original facade and the integration of the new glazed exterior on the extended upper levels.

"This project is an amazing opportunity to reinvent and redefine the next generation of cultural experiences on Oxford Street. It anchors the eastern end of the City of Sydney's Oxford Street renewal and will help people rediscover one of Sydney's most creative and culturally significant areas," Southwell said.

"Cinema opens a world of experience and magic beyond our everyday lives. Verona will retain these cinematic experiences loved by so many, and enhance them with live entertainment, retail, and creative workspaces, allowing magical experiences into the everyday."