A long History

The Royal Australian Air Force RAAF Base Richmond is 50km north-west of Sydney. Best known as home for their Hercules medium transport aircraft and also a number of other units call Richmond home. The Effuzi club cinema chair was chosen for the recent refurbishment of their Metro Theatre.

RAAF Base Richmond was the first Air Force base to be established in New South Wales and the second within Australia. In 1925 the first Air Force element in New South Wales, No. 3 Squadron, was formed at Richmond.

From 1923 to 1936, RAAF Base Richmond was also used as a supplementary airport for Sydney, with Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith landing the Southern Cross there after his trans-Pacifica flight in 1928, and Miss Jean Batten landing after her solo flight from England in 1935.

At the outbreak of World War 2, No.3, 6, 9 and 22 Squadrons were based at Richmond, together with No.2 Aircraft Depot. No.8 Squadron formed on 11 September 1939 and No. 11 Squadron two weeks later.

During World War 2, Richmond developed into a base of major importance to Australia’s defence, and has since evolved from a combat centre to become the home of most of the Air Forces air transport fleet. As such, the base is now the hub of logistics support for the Australian Defence Forces.

Your boutique Cinema and Cafe experience

A collaborative venture between Horowhenua District Council and Focal Point Cinema has bought the movies back to the Horowhenua.

At Focal Point Cinema coffee and wine bar it is their aim to provide an amazing cinema entertainment experience, a relaxing and friendly environment, and a thoroughly enjoyable night out. They are an award winning boutique movie theatre complete with fully licenced coffee and wine bar.

Located in the busy country town Levin sits at the heart of the Horowhenua Plains, surrounded by the rolling countryside of the Manawatu just 50 kilometres south of Palmerston North & Feilding.

The Council has applauded Focal Point Cinema’s enthusiasm for the venture stating good business builds great communities and great communities attract good businesses. It takes courage, careful planning and a belief that business has a vital role to play in contributing to the well-being of the community.

The refurbished complex boasts three cinemas - Cinema 1 seats 176 patrons and is used for the ‘big’ latest release films on show and as well as catering for live entertainment. Meanwhile, in the intimate settings of the luxurious Cinema 2 and Cinema 3 boutique theatres, the more discerning and mature audiences are treated to a mix of new-release, mainstream and art house movies. Because the cinemas adjoin with the café/restaurant, patrons can enjoy a glass of wine and other refreshments while reclining in comfortable lounge seating. Projection equipment caters for 35mm films as well as state of the art digital projection technology.

The Council are always looking to enhance the living experience of the Horowhenua District and Focal Point cinema certainly adds to the range of community activities available in Levin and the wider area. It illustrates how successful partnerships between Council and different sectors of the community can deliver much needed facilities and employment opportunities that benefit the whole community.

With the renovations complete and Effuzi’s mojo seating sitting the audience comfortably the District’s residents can enjoy a movie-going experience fit for the 21st century!

Effuzi Seating Teams with Designcraft

A partnership between Effuzi Seating and Designcraft was the key element in the successful fit-out for the Gareth Evans Theatre, RG Casey Building Canberra.

Designcraft an award winning Canberra based company specialising in furniture, joinery and showcases teamed with Effuzi to supply and install replacement Seat and Desking within the Gareth Evans Theatre, RG Casey Building for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Designcraft have over the years have acquired a depth of knowledge, experience and expertise which has enabled them to take on an enormous variety of complex and challenging jobs both nationally and internationally. Their existing relationship with the Department was a stepping stone for Effuzi’s Viva Chair and Foldaway Desk to be selected for this refurbishment.

Renowned for delivering the best quality and a high level of customer service, at a fair price, Designcraft continue to remain committed to never compromising this great achievement. Selecting Effuzi products has enhanced this ethos.

Members of the Australian design alliance (ADA) created to support the integrity of original authentic design, Designcraft share in their belief that support of these values is an ethical, practical and aesthetic decision which promotes respect for the designer. “Both our design heritage and our creative design future rest upon the support of designers’ original work and that original design is an investment”.

CQ Universities multipurpose sports complex transforms yet again

A series of floods hit Australia, beginning in December 2010, primarily in the state of Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane.

The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least seventy towns and over 200,000 people were affected with three-quarters of the state of Queensland being declared a disaster zone.

Communities along the Fitzroy and Burnett Rivers were particularly hard hit, while the Condamine, Ballone and Mary Rivers recorded substantial flooding. An unexpected flash flood raced through Toowoomba's central business district before devastating communities in the Lockyer Valley. A few days later thousands of houses in Ipswich and Brisbane were inundated as the Brisbane River rose and Wivenhoe Dam used a considerable proportion of its flood mitigation capacity. Volunteers were quick to offer assistance and sympathy was expressed from afar.

Central Queensland Universities Rockhampton Campus was transformed into an evacuation centre by CQU staff, Australian Red Cross volunteers and members of the Local Disaster Management Group, welcoming displaced locals and providing temporary accommodation for around 700 people. The basketball courts were also used as an animal rescue centre.

Looking at the venue today, transformed yet again with Effuzi’s ‘Axor’ Telescopic Seating System having a capacity of 1960 spectators seated on ‘Albany’ stadia tilt seats you could be forgiven for forgetting the terrible scenes experienced only months ago that now seem to pale into the distant past.

In the Beginning

The garage was dark, dust ridden and dismal yet the hearts and the singing and the feeling of all the people inside emanated a bright light and glow, which far compensated for the lack of physical comforts. These were Jews who came from war torn Europe and traveled to the far shores of Australia and began rebuilding their Jewish heritage in a little suburb by the beach known as Coogee.

Here they sang the ‘lecha dodi’ every Friday night full of hope that Coogee, Australia would be their safe haven, a start of a new beginning to rebuild the lives that they lost for themselves and for their children. There is a tradition that communities will transplant themselves in the times of Moshiach and be there for everyone in Jerusalem. What happened in Coogee was that War saw,Budapest,Minsk, Satmar, and East London were transplanted to these distant shores.

The life of the refugee after the holocaust in Australia was challenging and demanding. Families had no language, no money, no understanding of Australian culture and no family support yet they had each other all sharing the common experience of surviving the hardships of war. It was an enormous traumatic bond that was etched in their lives and in their memories forever. Unequivocally each and every one had a burning desire to rebuild the homes that they lost, and to establish community in the spiritual desert that they found themselves. In this way Coogee Synagogue was no different than the many other post holocaust communities that sprung up to continue the light of the eternal Jewish flame.

Approximately twenty families found themselves in a small little three-block area not far from Coogee Beach. They did not intend to meet but they bumped into each other at the grocer, butcher or just taking a stroll along the beach promenade. It was these unassuming yet heroic people who started the Coogee Randwick Clovelly Hebrew Congregation – Or Chadash.

Today the Synagogue looks back with pride on its achievements as a communal pillar and strong supporter of the land of Israel. In the last 10 years over 300 Bar and Bat Mitzvahs have taken place at the synagogue. The circle of life seems to be turning as many of those Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are now celebrating their weddings. Those who were married in the synagogue are now celebrating their children’s birth. The role of the synagogue throughout the ages has been to provide a second home for its membership. Coogee Synagogue is no different. Coogee is a place where its members come together to celebrate joyous events and happy occasions and to mourn over sad ones. It is a place, which creates the remarkable sensation to laugh and cry at the same time, to shed a tear of both sadness and joy.

New Seating installed by Effuzi September 2011

Eclipse Grandstand Selected at Te Whaea Sports Field

Wellington’s sporting community have enjoyed fewer cancelled games this year with the city’s newest artificial sport field now open. The installation of Effuzi’s ‘eclipse’ demountable grandstand will certainly give the spectators something to cheer about as well .

Artificial surfaces can withstand more play than even the most robust and well-drained grass fields. The park is a fantastic new asset for the city and helps address the growing demand for sportsfields that can be used in all weathers. The new full-sized field is primarily used for community sport, but has been built to specifications so it can potentially be used for FIFA and IRB approved games. The pitch is likely to supplement adjacent Rugby League Park as a training venue during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

The artificial turf sportsfield has had a varied history. It was originally a rubbish tip (known as 'Jam Tin Gully'), then a recreation ground, then car park and is now back to a sportsground.

The 100 metre by 65 metres playing field features Effuzi’s ‘eclipse’ grandstand system with Albany Seating, a warm-up area, pavilion consisting of changing rooms and toilets, floodlighting, perimeter fencing and native plantings around the park. The Council is planning to build another five artificial sportsfields between 2013 and 2019.

Coastlands Cinemas Go for Gold

Modern technology and extra comfortable seats will be unveiled when the Downtown Cinema Complex opens at Coastland Shopping Centre this week.

The complex contains three standard cinemas with the forth being a 3-D theatre. All cinemas are fitted out with the latest digital projection technology with crystal clear picture and sound quality including special seats by Effuzi designed for maximum comfort.

Downtown Cinemas is owned by Cinema Holdings, New Zealand’s fourth largest theatre chain, with 21 years’ experience in cinema management and was the first company in New Zealand to build a multiplex cinema development. Cinema Holdings which operates cinemas under the Downtown, Cinema Gold and Paramount brands all boast Effuzi seating.

Substantial growth and development on the Kapiti Coast region reinforced Downtowns decision that Coastlands is the ideal position for a cinema complex and cinema-goers in the area are keen to see the complex opened providing a top entertainment destination for people in the area.

See it or be in Genesis Engergy Theatre

Sponsored by Genesis Energy the theatre is designed to bring together artists and audiences in an atmosphere of visual intimacy and acoustic excellence.  Expressions treats you to the latest in theatre technology and comfortable Effuzi seating.  Public spaces within the centre are accessible by wheelchair and the theatre also has sound loop for the hearing-impaired.  Genesis Energy Theatre is situated at Ferguson Drive, Upper Hutt, Wellington.

Expressions have something for everyone.  Their flexible spaces allow a wide range of activities to take place, enhancing leisure and entertainment opportunities in the city.  Expressions offers an exciting and diverse range of programmes including exhibitions, plays, cultural events, sports events, prize-givings, cabarets, school projects and productions, church functions, performing arts competitions, presentations, seminars, public meetings, conferences, tradeshows, training sessions, workshops, weddings and community celebrations, craft shows and other large events that take up the whole building.

The seat selected was ‘Scola’.

The Hills are Alive!

Belgrave’s Cameo Cinemas, an entertainment icon of the Dandenong Ranges, re-opened on December 26 2003, marking a new era for this cherished cinema.

The Cameo, which has National Trust Classification, was originally opened on November 22, 1935 with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s David Copperfield, together with a short program of Fox Australian Movie tone News, Walt Disney cartoons, a “musical novelty” starring Bing Crosby and Mary Pickford.

The Cameo was built by Alex Jaensch, who came to the Hills with his family in the early 1920s.  An industrial chemist by trade, Jaensch later became a “picture show man”, touring the Silvan Dam and Sassafras areas showing silent films in halls and sometime tents.  In 1934 he commissioned the architects Scarborough Robertson & Love to design a cinema for Belgrave.

When the Cameo opened in 1935, it was a true  “picture palace” of its time, boasting relatively ornate features of the Art Deco period and a distinctive “shadow decoration” of silhouetted trees on the cinema’s interior walls.  It also featured the renowned foot warmers, still in place to this day.

From the time of its opening and through the 1940s and ‘50s, the Cameo remained a focus of social activity for both the local community and beyond, as the Dendenong Ranges became an ever-popular destination for holiday-makers.

In 1961 Jaensch retired after nearly 40 years in the cinema business, and the Cameo simply closed.  It was resurrected in 1964 by Don and Elaine McWhirter, who renovated the cinema with red leather chairs, red and gold flock wallpaper, and gold curtains across the newly installed wider screen.  The McWhirters dedicated themselves tirelessly to the cinema’s rejuvenation. Both in décor and audience loyalty.

When the McWhirter family moved to northern New South Wales in 1977, partners John McKenzie and Leong Lim took over the cinema and continued upgrades, including a Dolby sound system, a curved brick façade, and two new cinema auditoriums, finally completed in 1987.  These alterations did not affect the existing 1935 auditorium (cinema 1) which retained its historical Art Deco features.

Palace Cinemas took over the lease at the Cameo in 1991 and continued to screen movies at the site until mid-2003.

On September 1, the Cameo was purchased by Eddie Tamir, who had achieved success with another cinema in need of renovation, programming expertise, and renewed energy.  Tamir’s revitalization of the Classic Cinema in Elsternwich stands as an excellent example of his faith and determination in “returning Cameo to its former glory”.

The new Cameo Cinemas, featuring five stylish cinemas and an outdoor cinema, reopened in December 2003 with a mix of new art-house films, quality blockbusters for adults and children, and world cinema classics.  The cinema retains its finest historical features from the Art Deco period, together with decorative flourishes from its post 1970s life and a “touch of glamour”.

An additional 2 cinemas were added at the rear of cinema 1 and are fitted out with Effuzi’s luxury ‘Phatt-70’ cinema chair and the Cameo now boasts 8 screens all screening the latest art-house/independent and quality mainstream new release films.

The Cameo remains one of the few architecturally notable, decorative cinemas still operating in Victoria, along with the Valhalla in Northcote, the Astor in St.Kilda and the Lorne Theatre.  The Cameo has been embraced by the community since 1935 and Tamir intends to uphold this tradition.

Waterworld Hamilton Revamped

Hamilton’s premier swimming facility “Waterworld” located centrally on Te rapa Drive, has recently undergone a transformation which has well and truly cemented its reputation as a quality facility that can compete on a national and international level.

World First at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Otago

Dunedin’s new stadium planned for completion in August 2011 will be New Zealand's largest indoor arena and the second largest in the southern hemisphere after Melbourne’s Telstra Stadium. The Government has contributed $15 million towards the stadium, named Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza Dunedin

The Otago Stadium will provide an unbeatable atmosphere as the country’s only fully enclosed, natural turf stadium. The pitch itself is something special, being the first time worldwide that natural grass has been grown under a fixed roof. The fixed, transparent ETFE roof will keep the temperature inside the Stadium between 3-4 degrees warmer in summer and 2-3 degrees warmer in winter, ensuring the experience for spectators, players and performers.  This world-class facility will be able to host a range of sporting, entertainment and cultural events - whatever the weather.

The North and South stands stands will have a permanent seating capacity of approximately 20,000 spectators of which 18,000 will be seated on Effuzi’s ‘Albany’ Arena stadium chairs. The Albany seat colours were selected to ensure the maximum reflection of light to enhance the natural turf growth whilst providing favourable results for television media regardless of spectator numbers.

Otago will host four Rugby World Cup 2011 matches and is located within easy walking distance north of the city centre, overlooking Dunedin’s harbour and right beside the University of Otago campus.

 

Oscar Winning Director Opens New Cinema

Situated in Wellington’s eastern suburb, the home of movie making in New Zealand, Roxy Cinema and Coco are the creation of a group of film and hospitality experts who set their hearts on reigniting the glamour and excitement of going to the movies.

Roxy Cinema and Coco investors include Jamie Selkirk, Oscar award winning editor and film producer and his partner Ann, Tania and Richard Taylor, co-founders of Weta workshop, cocktail guru Jonny McKenzie, Jo-Anne Lundon and Tim Alexander, long time movie fans with a focus on technology and Valentina and Daminda Dias, local foodies and co-owners of Polo Restaurant.

The building was originally Capitol Theatre, constructed in 1928 to screen silent movies and updated in 1932 to screen ‘talkies’ (movies with sound). In 1964 the last film screened and the building was converted into Capitol Court shopping mall which operated for three decades, before falling into disrepair.

The building was purchased in 2003 and is now owned by the Selkirk and Taylor/Rodger Family Trusts and over the last year a $7 million rebuild from the ground up has turned the Roxy dream into a reality. The building’s original art deco style has been revived, with stunning interior features designed and built by the team at Weta Workshop, state-of-the-art audio and visual technology and two cinemas installed to guarantee a world-class movie experience.

“Having set up Weta Workshop almost 18 years ago it seemed only logical to take on the challenge of breathing life back into one of Wellington's original suburban cinemas” Tania Rodger said. “This was an abandoned building that deserved a second chance and I now see the Roxy as a unique gallery, a place to showcase the creative art of film making with our creative team from Weta Workshop and we’re so pleased to be able to share the magic of movies with people from far and wide.”

Coco at the Roxys is open from 10am offering a range of sensational brunch. Lunch and dinner delights, from espresso and gateaux, tasting plates and wine, to cocktails, or gourmet burgers and fries. Upstairs the public will be welcome to take in the stunning new surrounds and have a preview of Cinema One with its specially installed ‘waterfall curtain’.

The owners in conjunction with New Zealand’s largest cinema equipment supplier, Audio Visual Equipment, have equipped both cinemas with identical digital equipment with the addition of a 35mm Kiniton film projector in Cinema One as well as being the first purpose-built 3D cinema in the country. Luxury seating supplied by Effuzi seating group provides cinema goers the ambiance and comfort whilst. Surround loudspeakers are also tuned to perform as an array to create the clarity an audience expects from professional quality cinema

“We are in the heart of New Zealand’s movie industry so we must have the best” Jamie Selkirk said. “It’s an opportunity to give something back to Miramar and Wellington, so come along and be part of the Miramar film experience.”

Roxy cinema selected Effuzi’s ‘ Phatt’ cinema chairs upholstered in leather

TSB Showplace Theatre Royal

The spectacular TSB Showplace has three venues within one complex. TSB Theatre is an original three-tier theatre, the Alexandra Room has excellent conference and exhibition facilities and the Theatre Royal Refurbished in March 2010,  is a black box-style, multi-purpose theatre ideal for smaller musical and drama productions and choral performances.  The intimate setting on Effuzi’s motorised pendant control  ‘Axor’ Retractable Platform Seating System with freestanding ‘Omni Network’ Floor Bar System in front of the unit allows for various configurations including dinners, dances, balls, catwalk shows, graduation ceremonies, presentations, media events, exhibitions and conferences.  The venue also features three bars, foyer areas, a ticketing office, in house catering and technical services.

Laby Building - Lecture Theatre 119

Studying at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. allows you the opportunity to study at a world-class institution while enjoying the benefits of living in a vibrant, cosmopolitan capital city in the heart of New Zealand.

Victoria University of Wellington, known in  Maori as Te Whare Wananga o te Upoko o te Ika a Maui,  selected Effuzi’s ‘Scola’ seating and ‘Foldaway Desk’ system for the Laby Building – Lecture Theatre 119 Upgrade in February.

This was complete retrofit of an existing lecture theatre which included changing the orientation of the original seating layout, new air conditioning, the latest AV technology and acoustic treatment. Access to the Lecture theatre now links up with the new Alan MacDiarmid  Building due to open early May

Wellingtons New Supreme Court was opened in January 2010 by Prince William

More than 1000 people turned out to Wellington's CBD to catch a glimpse of Prince William who represented the Queen at the opening of the new Supreme Court building January 2010.

The royal was greeted with shouts of "we love you William" as he pulled up in his convoy and more cheers as he entered the Supreme Court building following a Maori welcome. The prince was performing his first official duty for the Queen by opening the new supreme court. The permanent home for New Zealand's highest court replaces the London-based Privy Council.

The concept of the free-standing, visible courtroom acts as a metaphor for promoting ‘justice to be transparent and open’.  Judges preside in the court space at eye-level with legal colleagues and the public to encourage an atmosphere of inclusiveness. The new building is surrounded by a bronze screen depicting the strength, durability and stature of the Pohutukawa and Rata tree. The building environment has a uniquely New Zealand atmosphere and is befitting of the highest court of the land.

 Effuzi ‘s  ‘viva’ low back  tilt seat chairs upholstered in dark brown leather were selected for the public gallery  by architectural firm Warren and Mahoney.  This is a building of great significance to New Zealand as it will serve our country for at least 100 years

Japanese Student Purchases a New Gymnasium Seat

Forever marked: Naoto Okamoto,  wanted to leave his mark on Kapiti College after three years of study. The Japanese 18-year-old, with his mother Keiko and father Akihiko, has bought a  seat for the for the newly constructed Kapiti College gym, which is being opened to the public early February 2010.

The college was hoping more would follow the Okamoto's lead and offer financial support to the $2.5 million project, which would be Kapiti's first indoor seated gymnasium.

The gym will host netball, basketball, badminton, and volleyball matches, along with arts and cultural performances. The grandstand features 300 x  Effuzi ‘Albany’ arena tilt seats and a glassed viewing gallery.  The facility will be independently run, with the college and community able to use it.

Mrs Okamoto said she wanted to return the support her son had received from the college and community. "This is our first experience to come to New Zealand and we can see how Naoto has been supported by many kind people in the community for three years”.

 

Art House Cinema Gets a Boost

 
 The comfy seats are in place, the patterned drapes look fantastic, and the chandeliers are dangling from the ceiling.

The extensive transformation of Hamilton's former Rialto Cinema Complex is now complete with the boutique cinema having been fitted out with a 1 million dollar upgrade turning it into an opulent and lush setting.  Cinema owner Richard Dalton said "I honestly think it's going to be one of the best cinemas in the country."

To create the complete entertainment experience requires atmosphere:  an ambient venue, optimum audio-visual technology and most essentially, ergonomical seating.  This is the successful formula implemented by Lido Cinema chain that already operate two other cinemas in the Auckland area and has been voted Auckland's best cinema in five of the past six years.  Effuzi’s ‘Phatt-70’ cinema chairs have been selected for all venues. 



 

Albany Stadium Seating

Albany seating was selected at Manfeild Stadium adding this venue to the long list of satisfied customers enjoying the benefits that Albany stadium seating has to offer.

Manfield is known for its world-class motor racing circuit - the longest with uninterrupted views in the Southern Hemisphere, Manfeild is currently the home of the New Zealand Grand Prix. These days the circuit is but one component – much more drives this landmark Feilding facility and Manfeild has evolved into a unique facility capable of catering for a wide range of events.

The new 7500 square metre stadium capable of seating 5000 people, stands tall alongside the international race circuit.  All of this is encompassed in the 80 hectare flat parkland which has made Manfeild a natural fit for all agricultural , equestrian and motorsport events including the Central Districts Field Days, the NZ Beef Expo, Manawatu and Feilding A&P Show’s, NZ Dog Show, Fireworks Spectacular, New Zealand Grand Prix and NZV8 race meetings.

The 3 new state-of-the-art suites housed within the stadium and 5 pit lane complexes have made Manfeild, Manawatu’s venue of choice for many conferences, trade shows, training seminars and weddings.

The facilities that Manfeild offer make this icon Manawatu facility a focal point and a must-see for any event planner.

Mobile Retractable Units

Located in the heart of the beautiful West Coast South Island, New Zealand, The Solid Energy Centre in Westport has been enhanced by an Axor telescopic platform seating system complete with Omni Spectator seats.  The units were installed in the brand new purpose built recreation  and events centre last month making it the recreation, sporting  & eventing hub for the Buller district.

 We enjoyed working at a venue with people so obliging and excited by the addition of their mobile grandstands.

Gold Medal for Lindisfarne Auditorium

Effuzi  congratulates Mark Morgan and the team at Morgan Builders for their work at Lindisfarne College in Hastings, New Zealand being awarded the local Master Builders 'Commercial Project' Award this month

The building was designed as a Performing Arrts Ccentre containing 350 new generation Effuzi ‘Derby’ fixed and linea' loose seats. The Auditorium was built on a carpark adjacent to the existing chapel, school hall and gymnasium, with construction creating an atrium entry and  “long room'' to connect and integrate the buildings.

Being a gold award winner means they will proceed through to the selection process for the national finals which will be held in Auckland later in the year and we wish them all the very best of luck.

 

The complete Entertainment Experience at Hoyts Riccarton

Continuing where we started in 2005 with the fit out of six screens Effuzi was again proud to be associated with this prime venue in 2009 with the addition of a seventh screen adding a further 318 Mojo-70 seats

Christchurch cinemagoers experience the utmost in cinema entertainment. The multi-million dollar Hoyts Riccarton cinema complex is at the hub of Rotherham Street entertainment area and boasts a number of special features, seven cinemas, with seating for 1800 people. Cinema five of Hoyts Riccarton - the "Cinemaxx" cinema - is home to one of New Zealand’s largest purpose built 35mm screens measuring 23.5 metres wide.  All cinemas feature the latest in screen and sound technology with plush Effuzi cinema seating.

Catering to the astute cinemagoer, four of the seven cinemas contain luxury seating with side tables, and an in cinema waiter service available offering wine and cheese platters and a range of tapas and desserts.

To complete the cinema entertainment package, before or after a movie, cinemagoers can enjoy a coffee whilst surfing the net at the cinema's Intermission cafe, which hosts Wi-Fi - free wireless internet connection for customers. Kids of all ages can celebrate their birthday in the birthday party room.

Hoyts Riccarton is located on Rotherham Street in the redeveloped Westfield Riccarton shopping centre. Combined with the location of the cinema, Rotherham Street holds a number of entertainment and leisure choices for the community, all in one area. Hoyts Riccarton completes the full complement of fashion, entertainment, leisure and mainstream retail activities at Westfield Riccarton for the Christchurch community.

Effuzi have fitted new seating at ‘Hoyts cinemas throughout Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.  We thank Hoyts for their continued business.

Whitirea Polytechnic Lecture Theatre Upgrade

Effuzi International, market leader in the design and manufacture of Lecture Theatre Seats and Desking congratulates Arrow International and Athfield Architectus on the sucessful completion of this new award winning facility in Porirua City.

The ergonomic fully upholstered 'Scola' chair and 'Foldaway' desk selected for this project produce a visually attractive and highly functional educational environment.

 

 

Another Successful Auditorium Project, Casula Powerhouse, NSW

After a 22 month closure, the Casula Powerhouse reopened in 2008 with significantly  improved and new facilities. The centre now houses an international standard  exhibition space, and a 326 seat state of the art theatre. The centre also boasts a  multi-purpose theatre/performance space, artists' studios and artists'.  Effuzi’s ‘Recital’ chair  once again selected for its complimenting aesthetic design, comfort and acoustic  values. 

The building was built in 1951 by the NSW Electricity Commission, the Casula Powerhouse  (then known as the Liverpool Powerhouse), was one of a series of identical  buildings erected to supplement electricity production during winter and power  shortages. In 1955 the 250 foot stack was erected, replacing four shorter chimneys. Residents  had complained that the smoke from the powerhouse dirtied their washing.

The Powerhouse was closed in 1976, and bought by Liverpool Council in 1978 for $75 000. The building became derelict over the following decade, and in 1985 the residents of Liverpool decided by plebiscite that the building should become an arts centre. By 1987 Council had appointed two staff members to oversee the first capital works program. Electricity was installed, building reviews carried out and an office space was furnished.

In 1993, while Mark Latham was Mayor of Liverpool, Casula Powerhouse, as it had then become known, was allocated funding in council budgets for the very first time. An ambitious development took place, and the centre opened its doors in 1994.

 This capital project has been a partnership between the NSW Government, ArtsNSW, Liverpool City Council and its communities.

Effuzi Auditorium Seating Chosen for ANU School of Music, Llewellyn Hall Refurbishment Project

Effuzi was proud to be the supplier of new seating for the recent $10Million refurbishment of the ANU School of Music Llewellyn Hall, Canberra, acclaimed as one of Australia’s finest concert halls. Llewellyn Hall has a total seating capacity of 1336, 960 in the stalls and 376 in the gallery.

 In 1976 when Ernest Llewellyn was given the approval to proceed with his plans for a new centre of musical learning in Canberra, he envisioned a school of music that would not only be a centre of creativity and performance but also be the home of a world-class concert venue. Ernest Llewellyn had insisted from the outset that the building should be located on a site that was both central to the Australian National University and the city centre, easily accessible for both students and patrons. Together with renowned Melbourne architect Daryl Jackson, Llewellyn produced a final plan that was architecturally innovative and original which ensured that the building would continue to be recognised historically as a unique piece of architecture.

Llewellyn Hall plays regular host to national tours of organisations like the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Musica Viva. It has presented international performance groups including the Harlem Gospel Choir and the Malaysian Philharmonic. National tours have included The Dissociatives, Kasey Chambers and The Chinese Acrobats. Llewellyn Hall has been the home for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Choral Society and Canberra Community Orchestra for many years. It has also played host to the annual Multicultural Festival and the Australian Youth Orchestra Camps.

Effuzi’s ‘Recital’ Chair was selected for its complimenting aesthetic design, comfort and acoustic values.  Effuzi has added this impressive venue to its long list of Clients enjoying the difference Effuzi seating provides their patrons.