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HOYTS ALBURY

The Spirit of Art Deco

By Julie Lord

It’s 1968, and a young girl of five enjoys an outing to the cinema with her grandmother.
The little girl is in awe of her surroundings, so different from anything she has previously seen or experienced.
At the time she doesn't really understand why the theatre appeals to her so,
other than it being something magical and wondrous to which she feels drawn.
However, with the passage of time and an adult appreciation of the aesthetics underpinning
the theatre’s design, she realises that this is where the seed of her fascination with,
and love of, Art Deco and Moderne design was sown - a matinee at Hoyts Albury.

In discussing the architecture of
Hoyts Albury, it is helpful to have
some understanding of the period and
the influences at work at the time of its
construction.
Art Deco and Modernism were
responses to rapid changes in society as
a result of late 19th century
industrialisation and the aftermath of
World War I. There was a strong desire
to reject what had come before, for the
world to be ‘born again’ in a sense, to
develop a new aesthetic relevant to
post-war sensibilities.
Art Deco is difficult to define, but
John Steven’s Collection
is distinctive and readily identifiable.
Its many influences can be seen in the
aspects of Art Deco and modern design Edwardian and Victorian homes and
material brought together for the 1925
can be found both before and after this their mostly conservative successors in
Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et
loose date range. styles such as Federation,
Industrials Modernes held in Paris.
The relationship between Art Deco Californian/Australian Bungalow and
It is from here that Art Deco derives its
design and cinema is a logical one, since others. Contemporary-looking homes
name, though the term itself wasn’t
both were new and evolving in the first were considered too different, too
coined and used until the 1960s when
half of the 20th century. As movies radical. Instead, domestic architects
the first retrospective of this period was
became popular, purpose-built venues incorporated modern design into
held. Initially - from 1910 onwards - it
were designed to show them. The design interiors - Deco-influenced plasterwork
was simply called modern or moderne.
of these buildings was not constrained for cornices and ceiling roses; Deco-
Art Deco as it originated in France,
by history and tradition and architects influenced colour schemes; Deco-
drew freely from many previous styles
and other designers were able to adapt influenced decorative glass in leadlight
including classicism, indigenous, pre-
the new and latest styles for them. and sandblasted doors - all less obvious
Columbian and Egyptian cultures, as
By contrast, while new banks, town to the outside world and so less subject
well as the preceding Art Nouveau.
halls, offices and other public buildings to concerns about ‘what the neighbours
Throw in Cubism, Futurism and others
were needed, their designs were often might think’.
and the end result of this fusion were
constrained by tradition. Banks for The earliest cinemas, both locally and
the signature Art deco motifs - abstract
example, need to present an image of overseas, made use of existing theatres or
geometrics, zigzags, and streamlining.
solidity, reliability, and longevity. The were constructed in Revivalist styles, the
Art Deco pervaded all aspects of public expected a conservative, culmination of which were the elaborate
living, be it architecture, fashion, business-like image and this often 'Movie Palaces' of the 1920s. However,
jewellery, furniture, glassware, art, translated to the chosen architectural with the advent of sound and need to
industrial design or transport. style. The same influences were evident reduce construction costs as a
Consequently it could be considered the in the construction of private dwellings consequence of the Great Depression,
last truly ‘total’ style. Most simply it - while Modern /Art Deco homes and Art Deco and Moderne were adopted as
can be categorised as the major design apartments were built, overall numbers the dominant styles.
influence ‘between the wars’, though were small compared to the stock of
22 2008 CINEMARECORD