Page 10 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

CATHS-V AT

BALWYN

CINEMAS

About 50 members of CATHS-V
visited the Balwyn Cinemas in
September as the guests of Palace
Cinemas. The visit, arranged by
CATHS-V’s Henry Jamison was to
inspect the additional screens which
opened in July 2002.

Balwyn theatre biobox.
The new Cinemas 4 and 5 are
identical in size and layout.
Differences are in the colours of the
walls, seats and curtains. Comfort and
sightlines are excellent.
All the theatres have curtains to
add to presentation - side parting in 1,
2 and 3; waterfall in 4 and 5.
Cinemas 4 and 5 make up the rear
section of the head office of Palace
Cinemas which has its frontage on
Whitehorse Road. No attempt was
made by the architects to blend the
front of this administration centre with
the ‘castle battlement’ style of the

The corridor from the balcony foyer leading to Cinemas 4 and 5.
The open door (right) leads to the original bio box.

Cinemas 4 and 5 are reached from
the original balcony foyer. The
symmetry of the foyer has been
retained by placing a return in the new
corridor and in this way concealing
the entrances to the cinemas. Round
down lights retain a thirties ambience.
Clever positioning of coloured panels
along the walls lead the eye toward
the new theatres.
The configuration of screens in the
old building was completed in 1996.
The stalls area was partitioned to
create Cinema 1 (entrance left) and
Cinema 2 (entrance right). The biobox
for these cinemas is entered from the
landing mid-way to the circle foyer.
The original balcony area became
Cinema 3. The width imparts a sense
of breathing space, a nice change from
the ‘shoebox’ proportions of the other
cinemas. Cinema 3 uses the original Make a left turn and the entrance to Cinema 4 is on the right.

10 2002 CINEMARECORD