Picture Theatres.

Progress, Volume XVIII, Issue 6, 1 February 1923, Page 139

Picture Theatres.

Mr. H. C. Gnerson, of Auckland, read an interesting paper at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Institute of Architects at Christchurch on February Bth. The lecture was illustrated with some excellent lantern slides. Mr. Grierson briefly outlined the history of the modern cinema theatre, and showed how large was the ever-growing public which patronised this practically new form of entertainment. America today, he stated, had developed the picture theatre into a luxurious opera house and concert hall with gorgeous stage, settings and decorations combined with the best music, and even the olfactory nerve was pandered to by the introduction of a scented atmosphere in the building. He dwelt upon the difference in area of the stage required by the legitimate theatre as against the practically small stage area necessitated in the picture theatre. In the ordinary theatre the seating had to be concentrated within the range of the human voice from the stage, whereas in the picture theatre the eye power alone of the audience limited the length of the theatre. Mr. Grierson showed how the architect, when planning a picture theatre to-day, had to consider the range of sight of the audience, the projection of the picture, and the handling of a crowd, from the proprietor's point of view. Speaking on the comfort of modern picture houses, he stated that electric signal lamps automatically showing on vacant seats, was a recent American innovation. This system was connected with an indicator in the box office, showing at a glance the position of unoccupied seats. Speaking on general conditions which applied to all places of amusement, Mr. Grierson said that, firstly, there was the very important question of the selection of the site, an important one often decided by the promoters before an architect's apointment. The site should be in a well-lighted and prominent street, convenient to the trams, and having at least one other frontage to either a side or back entrance. An important point m the construction of picture theatres was the necessity of having them fireproof throughout. In New Zealand, he continued, especially in the North, too mflch provision could not be made for ventilation, and it appeared from experience that a natural form of ventilation was the best. It was advisable to provide as many controllable window and louver spaces as possible facing in all directions, so that it might be adjusted to suit the weather conditions, and be thrown open on occasions to air the house. In still weather exhaust fans should be provided to ventilate the houses and draw off tne foul air. Theatre lighting offered a great deal of scope for originality, and indirect lighting, although not economical, reduced the glare, which was a consideration when the audience was seated for the most time in semi-darkness. The switches could best be arranged so that the change from light to dark, and vice versa, was gradual. In conclusion he said that

picture theatres were business propositions, ornamental they should be, but only successful in so far that tney filled the purpose tor which they were built. lhe speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address.