‘Stairway to Paradise’ - Remembering Theatre Architect Vivian Fraser; Sharon Fraser

STAGES with Peter Eyers

Born in 1936, acclaimed Architect Vivian Fraser passed away in 2021. His name may not be immediately recognisable, but this Master Architect left a legacy that continues to reward the Arts community and their audiences.
On his tombstone he jested that he would like the epitaph to read, “ … he provided simple answers to difficult problems.”
It would seem that this mantra would never be better tested than in crafting a design for a working theatre - considering aesthetic, safety, functionality and longevity, for temples that harbour community and celebrate humanity.
Vivian Fraser (1936–) was educated in Newcastle, where he practised independently before arriving in Sydney in 1965. He first worked as the associate of Douglas Snelling (1965-66) and then worked for Ancher Mortlock Murray and Woollley. Commencing in 1975, he operated an independent practice, mainly designing award-winning theatres and houses,
Vivian Fraser’s most remarkable project was renovations to a cargo shed at Walsh Bay. Premier Neville Wran’s foresight to commence a State Theatre Company in NSW meant that a location was required which would house the many needs of a theatre company - auditorium, foyer, workshops, stage, administration, rehearsal rooms etc. Pier 4-5, was discovered in a wide search of Sydney - a derelict wharf in Walsh Bay which had lied dormant for 30 years; it housed zillions of pigeons, both alive and dead. And so, commenced the development of what would become a vital arts precinct.
Viv’s theatre legacy extends to other venues in NSW - the Belvoir Theatre in Surry Hills, the Australia Council office refurbishment in Redfern and the Kings School Theatre in Parramatta.
Viv’s daughter Sharon, also an Architect, joined STAGES to remember and celebrate the work of Vivian Fraser. It is a fascinating history. Hopefully this conversation enables his name to become as instantly recognisable as the theatres he conceived.
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