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The former Plaza Theatre is located at 650-658 Hay Street, Perth, Western Australia. It was the first purpose-designed Art Deco cinema in Perth. The Plaza Theatre opened in 1937 and was built for Hoyts Theatres Ltd. ==History== The Plaza Theatre was opened on Hay Street on Friday 17 September 1937 with a seating capacity of 1,275 divided into lounge, circle and stalls.〔 The first feature film screened at the theatre was ''Lloyd's of London''.〔 Built on the site of the former Majestic Picture Theatre,〔see http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au/record=b2039031~S2 and other photos of the Majestic at http://henrietta.liswa.wa.gov.au〕 the theatre was part of a new arcade development linking Hay and Murray Streets. The arcade remains one of Perth's busiest, while the theatre has been closed and put to other uses in recent decades. Designed by William G. Bennett in association with Melbourne's H. Vivian Taylor (Taylor & Soilleux), the facade of the theatre/arcade is narrow but dramatic, presenting a stylised skyscraper effect in classic art deco fashion. It opened a year in advance of the rival development of the Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade, located 60 metres further to the west on Hay Street. Like its late-1930s rivals – the Piccadilly Theatre and the Metro Theatre (on William Street) – the Plaza offered a new level of comfort for Perth's movie-goers.〔Battye Library entry: 'A description of the new theatre designed by W.G. Bennett, especially the ventilation system built and installed by Atkins (W.A.) Ltd.' in ''Contact : Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Division (Atkins W.A. Ltd.)'', Oct. 1937, p.5,〕 Unlike the vast atmospheric Ambassadors Theatre (across the street from the Plaza) and the monumental Capitol Theatre (on William Street), the new-wave art deco cinemas were compact and stylishly modern. In 1940 the Plaza was modernised and remodelled at a cost of ₤15,000. Further renovations, including the refurbishing of the interior and the installation of a Todd-AO sound system, were completed before the opening of ''South Pacific'' in 1960, which established a new long-run record for Perth of 45 weeks.〔 The seating capacity of the theatre was reduced to less than one thousand in 1961. With increased capacity, a new screen and plusher appointments, the Plaza became Hoyts' premier theatre in Western Australia.〔 On 17 August 1965 the theatre closed and re-opened two days later as the Paris.〔 Soon after, Hoyts relinquished their lease to the Ace Theatre group.〔 With the advent of the multi-screen central city and suburban complexes, the theatre was closed permanently in 1984, briefly becoming a youth disco.〔〔 In 2003 the Plaza Arcade was acquired by Lease Equity, on behalf of Atzemis Berbatis Group for $26 million. In August 2005 commenced a major refurbishment of the Arcade under the supervision of Bollig Architects with construction by Link Projects and Project Management. The $5 million redevelopment featured new Italian terrazzo mall tiles, modern ceiling works, new facade lighting and glass panelling, and was completed in October 2006. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Plaza Theatre (Perth)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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