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Street with City Road. Here he built a
          cavernous brick and iron-roofed
          structure.
            This site, on the south side of the
          Yarra River near Prince’s Bridge, is
          now part of Melbourne’s performing
          arts precinct, held as open space for the
          Arts Centre.
            West’s Picture Palace was
          designed by prominent architect, the
          Hon. William Pitt, M.L.C. and was
          opened on 16 September 1909 by the
          Governor of Victoria and his good lady.
            Pitt’s credentials as a traditional
          theatre architect (the Princess -1886, the
          Kings -1908) were hardly in evidence
          on this project; the priority seems to
          have been to get as many people as
          possible under one roof, with little
          regard for the niceties of decoration.
            As if taking a cue from the
          foundries and heavy industries nearby,
          the auditorium was as plain as a
          factory. The novelty of moving images
          on a screen was apparently enough to
          satisfy most patrons. A proscenium
          (and presumably curtains to match),
                              (9)
          was not fitted until 1918.
            The building measured about 165
          feet in length and was 87feet wide
          (50m.x 26m.) and had an open span of
          about 80 feet (24m.)
            West claimed a design capacity of
          about 5,000 people; however the Board
          of Health rated it at a mere 4,000! The
          Bioscope stated that the theatre seated
                         (8)
          4,000 comfortably,  but in their 3
          February 1910 issue, the claim was for
          a license to seat over 5000!
            The Kinematograph and Lantern
          Weekly reported that the front of the
          theatre was of Moorish design; the
          interior decorated in blue, terra-cotta
                 (1)
          and buff.
            The entrance hall had a granolithic
          pavement leading to two carpeted
          staircases. The main hall was raked
          about four feet (1.2m.) over its length.
          The 400-seat capacity dress circle was
          carpeted and fitted with opera seats
                                            From the top: The fortress-like exterior of West’s Palace; The spartan interior was no
          accessible from ‘an elegantly appointed
                                            barrier to a full house. The balcony comprised five rows of seats.
          foyer’, all of which was supported by a
                                   (1)      Images: K &L Weekly 14 Oct.1909.
          number of five-ton steel girders.
            No seat, up-stairs or down-stairs  One irate patron wrote a letter of  in the front seat sitting on my knees,
          had an obstructed view, and they all  complaint to the Board of Health about  and a person sitting behind from
          had backs!                        the seats:                         digging his knees in my back. Also, the
            How was it possible to cram so     There is only eight inches between  seats are marked off at regulation
          many people into this building? By  them. This is bad enough, but when  distance, but they move the people up
                                                                                                       (9)
          skimping on leg-room and squeezing  people have to pass one another, it is  closer, and squeeze others in.
          people into the rows. In the stalls the  cramped, uncomfortable and annoying,  Other features of Wests’ included
          seats seem to have been like church  in fact some people cannot pass. Often  piped steam/radiator heating, an
          pews, and were not fixed to the floor.  I have to sit sideways to avoid people  opening roof panel, 40 feet by 20 feet

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