Plaza Theatre, Sydney

The former Plaza Theatre in

The Plaza Theatre was built during a golden age of cinema-going in[Australia and was opened on 11 April 1930.^[1] designed as a 2000-seat cinema by Eric Heath for Hoyts.^[2]

The theatre's organ was built circa 1923 by the

By 1950 cinema attendance had declined, further affected by the introduction of television in 1956. Many suburban cinemas closed down and in the city a number of theatres were demolished for redevelopment. In 1977 the Plaza was closed as a cinema and the foyer was converted to a McDonald's and the auditorium was converted to a skating rink, concert venue and restaurant. A Heritage order prevented its demolition until 1995 when the auditorium became Planet Hollywood. That area is now a licensed bar.^[4]

Design and construction

The building was constructed in the years 1929 and 1930 by the building firm James Porter & Sons and to a design by Eric Heath. The brickwork facade is rendered in a rough cast

The building is an example of central Sydney's inter-war building boom in theatre buildings and one of a handful of central Sydney's surviving theatre buildings.[2]

The building is of historic significance at a

• 
  Detail of the George Street façade highlighting the Corinthian column loggia.
• 
  Interior detailing preserved in the foyer.
• 
  A section of the beamed ceiling showing coloured and stencilled floral motifs.

References

Further reading

• Building, June 1930 issue

External links

• Proposed Alterations and Additions to Old Plaza Theatre at 600 George Street, Sydney. 1977, 1980 and 1986 from National Trust of Australia (New South Wales) : collection of architectural plans and drawings of historic buildings, State Library of New South Wales, PXD 722/p.F.1999

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Plaza Theatre (Sydney).

33°52′32″S 151°12′25″E / 33.875428°S 151.206813°E / -33.875428; 151.206813