The Capitol, Melbourne facts for kids
| RMIT Building 113 | |
Auditorium ceiling
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| Address | 113 Swanston Street Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
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| Coordinates | 37°48′55″S 144°57′59″E / 37.81536°S 144.96636°E |
| Owner | RMIT University |
| Designation | Victorian Heritage Register |
| Capacity | 554 and 8 accessible spaces |
| Current use | Education, events |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Architect | Walter Burley Griffin Marion Mahony Griffin |
The Capitol is a famous old theatre in Melbourne, Australia. It is located on Swanston Street in the city centre. This amazing theatre opened in 1924. It was designed by a husband and wife team, Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin.
The Capitol is known for its beautiful art deco style. It has a special ceiling with thousands of coloured lights. These lights make the ceiling look like a sparkling cave! It is the oldest of Melbourne's big "picture palaces," which were grand cinemas.
In the 1960s, people wanted to knock down the theatre. But a big campaign helped save it! Later, RMIT University bought The Capitol in 1999. They use it for classes and events. The theatre closed in 2014 for a huge five-year makeover. It reopened in 2019 and now hosts many cool events.
The Capitol is a very important building in Australia. Experts say its design is "extremely unusual" and "a technical triumph."
Contents
History of The Capitol Theatre
Building the Theatre
The Capitol Theatre was built by a group of Melbourne business people. This group included Antony J. Lucas and the Phillips brothers. The Phillips brothers also helped build Luna Park and the Palais Theatre in St Kilda.
The architects were Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin. Marion Mahony Griffin was especially known for her amazing interior designs. Mr. Lucas had worked with the Griffins before on other projects.
The plans for The Capitol were approved in 1923. The theatre officially opened on 7 November 1924. It was part of a bigger building called Capitol House. This building had shops, a cafe, and offices, along with the theatre.
A famous architect named Robin Boyd once called The Capitol "the best cinema that was ever built."
The theatre's most amazing part is its ceiling. It has sharp, crystal-like shapes made of plaster. These shapes look like a sparkling cave. The ceiling also had about 4000 hidden coloured lights. These lights could change colours to match the music or mood of the silent films.
The Capitol was also home to Australia's first large Wurlitzer Organ. This organ played music and sound effects for films. It was also used for musical shows between movies.
Saving The Capitol
In the late 1950s, fewer people went to cinemas because television became popular. In the early 1960s, the theatre's lease ended, and it closed. Many old buildings were being knocked down to make cities look more modern.
But people wanted to save The Capitol! The National Trust of Australia and architects like Robin Boyd started a campaign. They found a way to save the theatre.
In 1963, the theatre closed for changes. The front lobby and some seating were removed to make space for a shopping area. But the famous ceiling and the upper part of the theatre were saved. The Wurlitzer organ was moved to another cinema. The Capitol reopened in 1965.
After reopening, it showed many popular films. These included The Great Race and Superman: The Movie. In the 1990s, it was used for film festivals and special movie screenings.
Recent History and Restoration
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In 1999, RMIT University bought The Capitol. They wanted to protect the building's history. They also wanted to use it as a large lecture hall for students. RMIT worked to connect all the different parts of the theatre again. They also added safety upgrades and access for people with disabilities.
In 2014, The Capitol closed again because it needed a lot of work. RMIT launched an appeal to help pay for the restoration. This was the first full restoration of the theatre.
The restoration included:
- New services and better access.
- A lift for disabled access.
- New seats for everyone.
- Modern projection equipment for films.
- Cleaning and repairing all the beautiful plasterwork.
- New carpets that looked like the original ones.
- Replacing the old coloured lights with new LED lights. These new lights can create endless colour patterns.
The restored theatre opened on 3 June 2019. It was a big celebration!
In 2021, the original Wurlitzer organ, named "Eliza," came back to The Capitol. RMIT University and the Theatre Organ Society of Australia are working to raise money to put it back in place.
Gallery
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Curtain and stage area decorations
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The Capitol building, 2012
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Exterior detail
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The Capitol with LED lighting in 2019
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Original lights
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Detail of the ceiling
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Balcony lounge
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Foyer ceiling detail
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