NEW THEATRE FOR CITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18346, 12 March 1923, Page 9

NEW THEATRE FOR CITY.

COLOSSEUM BEING BUILT. QUEEN STREET FRONTAGE. A handsome new theatre, to be called the Colosseum, is shortly to be erected in Queen Street on the site adjoining that of the Auckland Savings Bank. The demolition of the block of shops now standing on the site has commenced, and at the back of the area the work of excavating the foundations is already in hand. It is hoped to have the building constructed by Christmas. The Colosseum is being built for an Auckland company at a cost exceeding £150,000, and it will have seating accommodation for some 2000 people. It is being 30 constructed that it can be utilised either for dramatic or for cinematographic entertainments. The new theatre will have a frontage of 98ft. to Queen Street and will run back to Lome Street. The plans show an exceedingly artistic building, the front elevation of which to Queen Street will bo of a classic design. On the ground floor frontage will be shops divided by an entrance to the theatre proper. An innovation for New Zealand will be the design whereby the row of shops will be double, the upper ones being reached by a staircase. Above these again there will be a balcony, along the front of which will be ranged tall pillars. The verandah will be some 20ft. I above the pavement, allowing for the double row of shops. The building is ! to be constructed in ferro-concrete, and will be fireproof. Then* is a difference \n the levels of Queen and Lome Streets of 19ft., and the building has been planned so that full advantage may be taken of each level. The I whole of the Lome Street frontage will ! be devoted to an entresol from which the various entrances and exists to and from the theatre will lead. Particular care is being taken to ensure that the entire audience can easily leave the premises without confusion. The scheme of decoration for the interior of the Colosseum has not yet been definitely decided, but it will most probably be an adaptation of the Adams style. A great effort is to be made to open the theatre at Christmas. The contractors /or the building are endeavouring to emu- j; late the work of American builders by breaking the speed record for all previous buildings in Auckland. The directors of the Colosseum Company include several well-known Auckland business men.