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The Paramount theatre through its architectural design represents a return to concern for aesthetics. From the light fixtures to the carpeting aesthetics clearly play an important role in creating the fantastical escape for the patron. However it is important to give a historical context in order to understand the nature of aesthetic renewal. Movie theatres have historically emphasised aesthetics in order to draw larger audiences. The Montreal movie places of the 1920's and 1930's were designed “to astound the people, to awe them with its size and grandeur, to remove them as far as possible from their modest flats and toil worn lives and make them feel, for the mere price of a ticket, like kings and queens in a castle.” [4] Theatre owners realised that cutting edge of architecture sold tickets and gave a theatre identity. The Imperial (which still stands today), built in 1913, had a facade that was furnished in a brilliant white terra-cotta to evoke images of ancient classic times when the clay had been used for building materials. [5] (Fig 2.1) The terra cotta facade drew attention from pedestrians and distinguished the theatre from the rest of the street scape. Several years later an extravagantly lit marquee was added to boost the theatre’s prominence. (move mouse over Fig 2.1). If exterior design drew paying customers it was the interior design that soothed and impressed them. The Imperial’s auditorium was decorated with oak woodwork, marble on the lower walls, cloth on the upper walls, stained glass over the doors of the lobby, bronze and glass chandeliers and plaster ornamentation. It’s colour scheme of ivory, gilt and rose connoted royalty.[6] The Palace built in 1921 was even larger and more extravagant than the Imperial. (Fig 2.2) Theatres built not long after the Imperial and the Palace, had similar aesthetic objectives - to connote classical elegance and sophistication. New theatre designs integrated elements of the previous classic styles yet simplified its elaborateness to reflect a more technological and mechanical age. This style known as Art Deco, used cleaner lines, unvaried repetition and geometric symmetry. Some pictures of theatres built in this style can be found at here. One of the best examples of art deco theatres is the Oakland Paramount, built in 1931. Like the Palace and Imperial it was intricately decorated with varied ornamentation, and classical influences. Its exterior and marquee were well lit and ornamented with the outlines of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of life. [7] (Fig 2.3) The interior had a sleeker aesthetic which included an unending variety of light fixtures integrated into the decoration with some hidden from view.[8] The wide use of glass, metal grillwork, vivid colours, and golden plasterwork served to camoflauge mechanical operation of the building with art deco glitter.[9] (Fig 2.3) page 1 of 3 | Next Page > |
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