Page 23 - CINEMARECORD-99

CATHS visits the Forum Theatre, Melbourne

by Graeme McBain

group of 30 CATHS’ members was treated to a tour of the Forum Theatre on Saturday
A 28 July, hosted by Jesse Cain from the Marriner Group.
During the past eighteen months, major work has been done to the foyer and the downstairs
auditorium. Several truck loads of soil were removed from the sections of the basement that
were not excavated during construction in 1929. This has created extra space, enabling the
basement to be modernised, with features including a green room, dressing rooms and a fully
equipped kitchen.

One of the most notable changes in the foyer is the restoration of the mosaic tiled floor and
the Carrera marble staircases, which had been covered over by carpet since 1937. The mosaic
floor covers an area of around 100 square metres. Work on the floor was carried out by the
firm Mosaic Republic, taking three months to complete.

There are around 200,000 small tile pieces, of which 40,000 of the most battered were lifted,
then brushed and washed. A further 20,000 had to be replaced with new tiles imported from
France. The new tiles being of metric dimensions, as opposed to the original imperial size,
had to be cut by water jet at a company in Dandenong.

A new section had to be created to cover the bare white patch of floor where the box office
once stood. This new section features a gryphon which fits in well with those in the foyer and
the exterior of the building. Roman numerals were recreated around the clock which is inlaid
into the floor just inside the centre front doors. Since the two marble staircases had suffered
some damage over the years, a stonemason was engaged to restore the marble, as well as the
tiles between each step.

The rest rooms downstairs have also been renovated and new carpet installed, replacing the Greater Union burgundy carpet which had been in the
theatre since 1962. The western wall of the auditorium has been moved back to almost its original position. This allowed the bar to be moved to a
more suitable position, having previously been located in the former office space, which was not as easily accessible to patrons.
The pillars at either side of the front portion of the auditorium which supported an air conditioning duct have been removed to allow a better view
of the side walls. These pillars were added during the twinning of the auditorium in 1962. The auditorium has polished hardwood floors. There are
several private booths at the rear of the auditorium, the floors of which can be raised or lowered by hydraulic lifts, forming a flat or stepped surface
to suit the needs of the various events. The statues, walls and ceilings of both the foyer and auditorium have also been restored. The original entrance
of the former Rapallo cinema has been turned into the stage door entrance and a lift large enough to take a car has been installed where the Rapallo
box office was originally located. The lift goes down to the downstairs area of the Forum. ★
Below: The recently restored mosaic tiled floor in the foyer

CINEMARECORD # 99 23