Page 11 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41
P. 11

The book was used so no explosive
          mark was left on the floor, but more
          importantly, so the floor did not
          resonate under the Ramset.
            In the Theatre Royal Hobart I blew
          up balloons and pricked them to make
          the explosive sound - again one of
          Taylor’s suggestions. (The results of
          these tests were used in the 1980s when
          the auditorium was rehabilitated after a
          fire destroyed the stage.)
            From 1963 to 1968 H. Vivian Taylor
          joined with me for a few consultations
          that required very careful acoustic
          design for air conditioning and
          electrical systems. As he mainly stayed
          in Melbourne, I helped him out on a
          couple of commissions in Sydney.
            Over that time I would ask him
          questions about his own work. He was
          most proud of the acoustic corrections
                                            Padua Brunswick: A pleasing synthesis of the aesthetic and functional, especially with
          he had designed for the Houses of
                                            respect to acoustic properties.
          Parliament, Adelaide (1935-40). He
          also liked being able to design an   When I approached the building that  After a brief blackout, the next
          acoustic treatment that would not be  housed the Staccato Club at about  performer appeared, the first now
          noticeable as such.               9.00pm, holding my sound level meter  dressed and walking out the front door,
            In the Regent Brisbane, the acoustic  in its case, I could only hear the ambient  her LP record under her arm. In an
          work was done, then the ornament was  noise of traffic. I opened the outer door  hour or so each of these women would
          carefully restored and painted in that  and was met by a gruff man of  be back at the Staccato Club, (just
          burnished coppery gold unique to the  seemingly ex-footballer build. I told him  down from the Metro/Minerva)
          theatre.                          who I was and what I had to do. “Feel  gyrating again in front of perhaps the
            For the Plaza Sydney, special   free,” he said, without a smile. When my  same middle-aged men.
          pumice was imported from New      eyes became accustomed to the dim     I now knew why Vivian Taylor passed
          Zealand, and cast into tiles similar to  light I saw that I was in a rectangular  this consultation over to me. He would
          the original decorative ones being  room with a catwalk extending two-  have been business-like but embarrassed
          replaced. The originals were hard and  thirds from a very small platform at the  while inside, but then chuckled in his
          reflective of sound, while the pumice  far end. That platform occupied about  quiet way once outside. ★
          tiles were moderately absorptive of  half the width of the room. Loud dance
          sound.                            band music, played through a poor     '(Theatre and cinema historian Ross
            In the early 1960s his files were a  sound system, was squawky and  Thorne is a former Associate Professor
          mine of drawings from his and other  distorted. A woman was on the catwalk  in the School of Architecture,
          practices that would send him dyeline  in a state of partial undress. On the main  University of Sydney and the authority
          or linen drawings for expert      floor a few men, mostly middle-aged,  often consulted for information for this
          consideration. They included the Maya  sat motionless and quiet.     magazine. This tribute was a response
          at Yallourn (Vic.), Regent Albury,   I unpacked the sound level meter  to the stories about Hoyts Albury in
          Crown Fremantle, the first Rivoli at  and started to take a full range of  CinemaRecord No. 61).
          Camberwell, Ozone Adelaide, and   readings at different positions in the
          many others. I would have loved copies,  room. I peered at my clipboard at  1. Biographical information is from
          but the cost would have been beyond  intervals to write down what I had read,  responses to a questionnaire I sent H. V.
          me. Also, I always thought that they  then lift my head to assess where next  Taylor on 1 October 1968. On file.
          would be in existence when I wanted  to move for some more readings. There  2. Only the lower floors of the Forbes
          them. I hope that they were saved.  was always one semi-naked woman on  Street studios were built initially, the
            Acoustic consulting was not all  the cat-walk, walking up and down in a  project put on-hold because of the War.
          stuffy mechanical affairs. Vivian Taylor  desultory manner, her high-heeled  The offices and studios at 96 Market
          asked me to do a quick job in Sydney’s  shoes hitting the catwalk almost in time  Street remained in use for some years
          Kings Cross for evidence in a court  to the raucous beat. The men remained  until demolished for the Centrepoint
          case.                             quiet and motionless. I continued to  development.
                                            take my measurements.








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