Following a two-year, $30 million renovation and restoration project, the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts reopened on October 1—50 years to the date of the building’s first opening night. Renovations to the landmark theatre, which closed for construction in April 2008, included restoration of the wood, bronze, and marble—hallmarks of the original facility—along with improved audience seating in the 3,000-seat theatre, new washrooms, a new catering kitchen, and reconfigured lobby spaces housing a new art gallery, as well as the new Balcony Bar.
The venue offers several spaces for private events and corporate functions, including the main lobby, which holds 1,200 for cocktail receptions. Two lounges on the main floor—the main east lounge and the main west lounge—both hold 160 for cocktails. The self-contained lounges have direct access to orchestra-level seating and can be used for pre- or post-show receptions.
The mezzanine, the site of the Balcony Bar, also offers two lounges that can accommodate groups of 50. The 13,000-square-foot lower lobby lounge has a permanent stage and holds 350 for a dinner (with a seating configuration focused on the stage) or as many as 1,150 for cocktails. The theatre itself can accommodate events for 3,200 (including standing room) but can also be sectioned off and used for smaller groups, said corporate sales manager Scott North.
Sony Canada Ltd. (naming sponsor of the centre) installed state-of-the-art technology throughout the venue, including a new Sony Ziris Canvas in the main foyer—a video wall comprised of 21 screens. There is also a Sony retail store in the northwest corner of the foyer. The venue partnered with Sodexo to handle on-site catering.
Phase two of the venue's three-part renovation project begins in 2011 with the construction of the new permanent backstage facilities and the L Tower, a 57-storey residential tower designed by Daniel Libeskind, the architect who designed the crystal addition to the Royal Ontario Museum. Completion is slated for 2013. A new public plaza will be constructed following the completion of the tower.
