Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, Double-decker theatre at Yonge Street, Toronto, Canada
The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre is a building with two performance halls on Yonge Street, where one auditorium sits seven stories directly above the other. Both spaces maintain distinct atmospheres and feature separate stages designed for live shows and events.
Marcus Loew commissioned Thomas W. Lamb in 1913 to design two distinct entertainment venues for different social groups during the vaudeville era. The upper hall closed in the 1920s and remained sealed for decades before being rediscovered and restored.
The Elgin Theatre presents stage productions, concerts, and lectures while the Winter Garden Theatre maintains its original garden-like design with painted landscapes and artificial foliage.
Both halls are accessible through separate entrances, with the upper space reached by elevators and staircases. Visitors should allow time to explore the interiors before or after a show, as each hall features different architectural details.
The upper hall preserved its painted landscape murals and artificial plants during the long closure, which remained intact when the space reopened. This garden-like decoration still conveys the feeling of being outdoors and survived only by accident.
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