NZ Visual Diary - entry 128
Cinema 1 - The Victoria Theatre (Devonport)
Devonport, the seaside suburb at the southern edge of Auckland’s North Shore, is often referred to as Auckland’s ‘Little Edinburgh.’ The suburb, a 12 minute ferry ride from the ferry station in Auckland’s city centre, certainly exudes Edinburgh’s charm, notably its handsome architecture built on a human scale and abundant green space.
Among the stately buildings along Devonport’s main street (Victoria Road) the Victoria Theatre proudly reigns.
Of the Victoria Theatre, one website chronicles:
The Victoria Theatre is the oldest surviving purpose-built cinema in the Southern Hemisphere. It first opened in 1912 with 965 seats. The Victoria Theatre Trust have now purchased the building and renovated to bring it back into the film business, as well as running live theatre. It re-opened on 26th October 2010. A fourth screen with 30-seats was added in 2019.1
Cinema 1 is the largest of the 4 screening halls within the theatre building. Its visual appearance suggests to me that the hall underwent a renovation informed by the Art Deco style of architecture. I believe that the pastels-coloured walls, organised in geometric panels that fan out beyond the proscenium arch; the piano key or crown-like ornamental patterns at the top of the proscenium arch; the faux dentil moulding along the side walls; the repetition of the crepe paper-like textures that form extended ceiling moulding and envelope the stage (a square within a circle) speak to an Art Deco sensibility.
For my wife and me, it is our favourite date destination for a movie.
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/9493