Civic Theatre, Movie theater in Auckland, New Zealand.
The Civic Theatre is a Moorish Revival corner building on Queen Street, its light stone facade pierced by tall narrow arched windows and topped by a frieze of small sculpted figures. A clock tower rises above the corner entrance, inscribed "CIVIC THEATRE" below the clock face. Inside, the Indian-inspired foyer has seated Buddhas, twisted columns and domed ceilings, while the auditorium imitates a Moorish garden with turrets, minarets, spires and tiled roofs.
Thomas O'Brien raised a £180,000 Bank of New Zealand loan and had Fletcher Construction build the cinema in eight months; costs passed £200,000 and drew Parliament's attention. It opened on 20 December 1929, but the Depression and O'Brien's insistence on British films brought bankruptcy. The council considered demolition in 1993 before a $41.8 million refurbishment, and it reopened on 20 December 1999, its 70th birthday.
The Indian-inspired foyer, with seated Buddhas, twisted columns and domed ceilings, leads into an auditorium styled as a Moorish garden with turrets, minarets, spires and tiled roofs. Two life-sized panther statues flank the stage on the proscenium arch. The Wintergarden, an underground ballroom in the complex, hosted Bob Hope, Eleanor Roosevelt and Freda Stark during World War II.
The Civic stands on Queen Street, its corner clock tower and "CIVIC THEATRE" lettering marking the entrance. The main auditorium and the underground Wintergarden ballroom are separate spaces within the complex, so check which one hosts your event. The building is managed by Auckland Live, which publishes the programme.
The Civic's auditorium ceiling is painted and lit to look like an open night sky with twinkling stars, the effect that defines an atmospheric theatre. The building is the largest surviving atmospheric cinema in Australasia and the first purpose-built one in New Zealand. Its interiors stood in for a New York theatre called The Alhambra in Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of King Kong.
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