| Hawaii Theatre | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 |
|
  |
|
| Location: | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Coordinates: | 21°18′56.4″N 157°51′49.56″W / 21.315667°N 157.8637667°W |
| Built/Founded: | 1921 |
| Architect: | Walter Emory, Marshall Webb |
| Architectural style(s): | Neoclassical, Art Deco |
| Governing body: | Private |
| Added to NRHP: | 14 November 1978 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 78001021 [1] |
The Hawaii Theatre is a historic Vaudeville theatre and cinema in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. It is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places.
When Consolidated Amusement Company opened it in 1922, local newspapers called it "The Pride of the Pacific" and considered it the equal in opulence to any theatre in San Francisco or beyond. Honolulu architects Walter Emory and Marshall Webb employed elements of Neoclassical architecture for the exterior—with Byzantine, Corinthian, and Moorish ornamentation—and a rich panoply of Beaux-Arts architecture inside—Corinthian columns, a gilded dome, marble statuary, plush carpets, silk hangings, and a Lionel Waldren mural on the proscenium. They also installed an innovative cooling system that allowed air from an ice storage room under the stage to flow through vents beneath the seats.[2] The large neon marquee was the largest ever built in Honolulu.
The Hawaii presented both Vaudeville entertainment and movies through the 1920s. Following the introduction of sound films, it operated as a deluxe movie theatre through the 1960s, gradually declining in the 1970s and falling into disrepair in the 1980s, until it finally closed in 1984. Concerned citizens united to save and restore it and formed the non-profit Hawaii Theatre Center, which purchased the theatre and several adjacent buildings in 1986. They raised funds for an extensive, $20.8 million renovation of the interior in 1994 directed by the Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer firm of New York City, which included a hydraulic lift to raise and lower the original pipe organ that used to accompany silent films.[3] The theatre reopened in 1996, while exterior renovations continued through 2005.
The Hawaii Theatre has once again become a popular venue for stage shows and concerts.
In 2005, the Hawaii Theatre was named the "Outstanding Historic Theatre in America" by the League of Historic America Theatres and in 2006 received the "Honor Award", the highest national preservation honor of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
 Decorative windows |
 Ceiling dome |
 Proscenium art |
 Nighttime view |
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
- ^ Sandler, Mehta, and Haines 2008, p. 47
- ^ Sandler, Mehta, and Haines 2008, p. 47
- Sandler, Rob, Julie Mehta, and Frank S. Haines (2008). Architecture in Hawai‘i: A Chronological Survey, new edition. Honolulu: Mutual Publishing.
External links
- Hawaii Theatre Center
- Vintage Photos of the Hawaii Theatre Theatre Historical Society of America website
|
||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
