The Tale of Two Theatres
Olivia Bridgman
The Palais Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, and The Lowry in Manchester, UK, are significant cultural landmarks, each creating and reflecting the artistic landscape of their respective cities. Despite originating from different historical periods and reasons to exist, both venues share a common purpose: they act as communal gathering spaces to promote creative expression for the enjoyment of art.
The Palais Theatre, a grand ambient picture palace built in 1927, illustrates Australia's magnificence and grandeur of the Art Deco era. The ornate interior, decorated with intricate plasterwork, chandeliers, and a starlit ceiling, was designed to engage audiences in the golden age of cinema. This architectural treasure has been a beloved entertainment venue for generations of Melbournians, preserving its rich cultural heritage within its well-attended walls.
In contrast, The Lowry, which opened in Salford, Greater Manchester, is a modern, purpose-built arts complex. Its design, which uses aluminium cladding and bold, angular forms, breaks away from traditional theatres. The Lowry has played an essential role in revitalising the post-industrial landscape of Salford Quays and establishing itself as a leading destination for the performing arts in the region.
The historical contexts of The Palais and The Lowry mirror transformative journeys within their respective cities. The Palais Theatre dates back to its origins as the Palais de Danse, a dance hall constructed in 1913 on the lower esplanade of St Kilda. With the outbreak of World War I, the structure was converted into a cinema, a highly successful venture. In 1920, the Phillip brothers, the original builders, decided to expand the venue, which required dismantling the original building to make way for a larger structure.
This new theatre, The Palais Pictures, was designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, two American architects, for their renowned recent Canberra design. Tragically, just days before its planned opening in 1926, the building was destroyed by a fire. Undeterred, the Phillips brothers rebuilt, creating a more spectacular picture theatre. After enlisting the services of Henry E. White, a New Zealand architect acclaimed for designing theatres and cinemas, the Art Deco theatre opened in 1927. It was a picture palace on a grand scale with a seating capacity of almost 3,000, making it the largest cinema in the country.
The Palais Theatre is strategically located next to Luna Park and the St Kilda Sea Baths. The baths, dating back to the 1850s, have undergone numerous redevelopments since their initial construction. Luna Park's original structures have also been restored and rebuilt over the years. These venues influenced architect Henry E. White's style for the Palais Theatre.
The theatre portrays all the glamour of the early twentieth century, typical of the Art Deco movement. The exterior is grand and ornate, with prominent curving forms, sophisticated plasterwork, geometric patterns, and decorative motifs. Featuring an arched roof and twin-domed towers, similar to Luna Park, The Palais also includes Spanish baroque detailing the towers, emphasising its eclecticism and originality. With recent restorations completed in 2017, the building exterior is painted in a sandy tone, reflecting its original 1927 colour.
The interior features historic ceiling domes, ornate plasterwork, chandeliers, and a grand staircase leading to the auditorium that seats nearly 3,000 people. A good theatre design has three essential components: clear sightlines from every seat, perfect acoustics, and an effective ventilation system. These have all been achieved in the recent refurbishment. The building's historical integrity has been consciously maintained with spacious foyers, elegant marble floors, and plush seating. Recent renovations have discreetly upgraded modern amenities, including lifts and accessibility requirements, ensuring they blend seamlessly with the theatre's original design.
The Palais Theatre began its life as a picture theatre. However, as television evolved, cinema declined during the 1950s, so the theatre became famous for live performances. The name was changed from The Palais Pictures to the Palais Theatre to reflect its new role. Modifications and structural additions were constructed to make the venue interchangeable. Various events and performances across different art forms, including ballet, theatre, opera, music, and film, have all been showcased on this famous stage. Along with the wide variety of events, it brought a diverse culture to the neighbourhood, integrating people from all parts of the world.
In 1982, The Palais Theatre was registered as a building of significance to the Victorian National Trust, and this was amended in 2006 to state that "The Palais Theatre, St Kilda, is of historical significance for its association with the development of St Kilda as an important seaside resort and as an integral part of the St Kilda foreshore entertainment complex."
A significant accomplishment was preserving the Palais Theatre in its original form. In 1970, a group of passionate residents dedicated to preserving the history of the building and the beauty of St Kilda and its surroundings established a not-for-profit organisation known as The St Kilda Historical Society (SKHS). Initially, communication consisted of a quarterly newsletter that informed the locals of upcoming events, concerns, and other relevant information. This platform for communication has evolved to its current format of the twenty-first century through online resources. This society has actively participated in the survival of the Palais Theatre in its originality, along with other historical sites, enhancing this heartfelt love for St Kilda.
In 2014, the theatre operators could no longer afford the upkeep or the urgent maintenance required, and it was planned to close. Investors were circling to redevelop the entire triangle of the St Kilda entertainment foreshore; carparks, high-rise accommodations, and other modern amenities were being proposed. A widespread community appeal with the support of the SKHS highlighted the significance of retaining this fundamental historical architecture. With financial support from the Victorian Government and private enterprise, the venue was given another lifeline, establishing that the theatre not only contributed to the vibrancy and character of St Kilda but also to a thriving entertainment district and cultural hub.
The Lowry was named in honour of L.S. Lowry, the renowned twentieth-century artist known for his distinctive drawings and paintings of the industrial North. The complex pays tribute to the region's industrial heritage. L.S. Lowry painted the tail end of the city's twentieth-century of sticklike workers hastening to their mills. Lowry's distinctive architectural design began in 1992 with the assistance of architects Michael Wilford and James Stirling. The project introduced significant changes to traditional theatre designs. Following Stirling's death in June 1992, Wilford continued the project. Constructed on a post-industrial landscape, the new arts venue transformed the industrial wasteland into a significant cultural destination and contributed to Salford Quays' regeneration.
The Lowry is situated on the waterfront of the Manchester Ship Canal at the end of Pier 8 in Salford Keys. Just outside the city centre, the site offers accessibility and features a promenade encircling the venue, providing panoramic views of the canal and the developments in Salford Quays. The Lowry reflects the historical significance of the transportation link between Manchester and Liverpool through the ship canal. Its design incorporates geometric shapes and a blend of materials that evoke a maritime theme. The building is constructed from 48,000 tons of concrete, 2,466 tons of steel, and 5,263 square metres of glass. The exterior design features sleek glass lines predominantly covered in stainless steel. Porthole windows enhance the nautical theme and reflect its origins in a modern and distinctive architectural style. The scene is a dramatically scaled monument to urban regeneration.
The interior of The Lowry features expansive, light-filled spaces with large windows that frame the surrounding landscape. The design incorporates multimedia elements to encourage visitor interaction. The layout includes smooth polished terrazzo, textured rubber, carpet, wood, and tiled floors. Metallic finishes, primary colours, and the design's curves and angles direct visitor flow through the space providing functionality with modern appeal and a welcoming atmosphere.
While the Palais Theatre has stood for over 90 years, The Lowry, a relatively new development, was commissioned to catalyse urban regeneration and revitalise the derelict Salford Quays. Local authorities and town planners have seen the success of The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, inspiring a desire to do the same for Greater Manchester. The Bilbao Effect, where a new cultural facility transforms the city into a vibrant, inviting place for visitors, residents, and inward investment, stimulates the local economy and creates a new cultural identity for the area.
As a registered charity, The Lowry offers a wide range of theatre, opera, music, comedy, dance, musicals, and visual art for all audiences. Its flagship community initiative, Art for Social Change, promotes inclusiveness, mainly focusing on young people facing challenges. This model has been the core of the regeneration of Salford Quays, ensuring residents are actively included in the region's ongoing development and cultural enrichment.
The area saw further development with the establishment of the Imperial War Museum North in 2002 and Media City in 2007. This growth of The Quays continued with the relocation of ITV studios and BBC North's headquarters in 2010, requiring additional infrastructure to ensure the growth could continue successfully. Beyond The Quays, Salford was also significantly impacted by economic growth and community engagement. The Lowry ensured residents benefitted from employment opportunities and accessible programs to learn new trades and skills.
With the consultation of residents and the community supported by The Lowry, planning groups have created a vision identifying areas that will undertake interventions to take on the next redevelopment steps named Salford Quays 2030. The redevelopment involves the construction of thousands of homes and expanding existing green spaces, establishing new waterfront areas while preserving successful elements and enhancing those in need of improvement. The vision is guided by placing community at the centre and a place where creativity brings people together while celebrating its past. The Lowry is the catalyst and the centre of the success of the development.
The Palais Theatre and The Lowry are known cultural venues with distinct histories and discrete architectural styles. They have established parallel cultural identities in check with the architecture of their retrospective cities. The Palais represents the adaptive reuse of a historic building to ensure its continued contribution to the city's character, heritage, and cultural life. The Lowry, a modern venue developed to encourage the rejuvenation and reinvention of a historic port into a modern hub in Greater Manchester, has created so much more. Establishing diversity, adapting to a community's changing needs, and identifying shifts in cultural landscapes while preserving history are critical reasons architectural historians collaborate with experts to maintain and safeguard buildings worth preserving. Such work is architectural history in action.