Rialto Cinema, Dunedin facts for kids
The Rialto Cinema is a modern movie theater in Dunedin, New Zealand. It's a multiplex, which means it has many screens showing different movies at the same time. The Rialto Cinema first opened its doors in 1998.
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A Look Back: The Building's History
The building where the Rialto Cinema is located has a long and interesting past. It stands in Moray Place, not far from the center of Dunedin.
Early Days as the Empire Theatre
This historic building was designed by a famous architect named Edmund Anscombe. It first opened way back in 1916. Back then, it wasn't called the Rialto; it was known as the Empire Theatre. Later, it became the Empire DeLuxe. It was a huge cinema, big enough for 2,000 people! For a while, it was the second-largest movie theater in all of New Zealand. Only the St. James Theatre in Auckland was bigger.
Moorish Style and Art Deco
In the 1920s, a businessman named Thomas O'Brien took over the cinema. He had the building completely redesigned to look like a Moorish palace. This style included cool features like a ceiling that looked like a twinkling night sky with stars! There were also tall, thin towers called minarets. Later, in the late 1930s, the front entrance area (called the foyer) was updated in the popular Art Deco style, which was known for its sleek, geometric designs.
Changes and Reopening as Rialto
After World War II, the cinema became part of the Kerridge-Odeon chain, a big group of movie theaters. In 1952, it was renamed the St. James Theatre and got a big makeover. Even with the changes, some of the old Moorish and Art Deco designs were kept.
The cinema closed in 1993 and was briefly used as a nightclub and restaurant. But then, it went through a major renovation. In 1998, it reopened as the Rialto Cinema, becoming part of the Rialto Cinemas group. It started with three screens, which later grew to five, and then six in 2004. The new renovations helped bring back many of the original designs, including the starry ceiling in the main theater. They also uncovered beautiful Moorish arches and fancy ironwork inside.
A Special Historic Place
The Rialto Cinema building is very important historically. It is listed as a Category I historic place by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This means it's considered a place of special historical or cultural value.
What is an Atmospheric Theatre?
The trust notes that the building has amazing interior features. It's also a rare example of an "atmospheric theatre" that is still standing. An atmospheric theatre is designed to make you feel like you're watching a movie outdoors in a romantic courtyard or amphitheater. They use special hidden lights to create illusions, like a night sky on the ceiling of the auditorium.
The Rialto's design cleverly used plaster to create features like columns and arches, making it look like a fancy outdoor space. The ceiling was painted electric blue and curved smoothly, with no breaks. On this ceiling, lights would project the illusion of a night sky, making movie-watchers feel like they were under the stars!
