SINGAPORE & THE FEDERATION OF MALAYA
REX CINEMA
SINGAPORE
REX
SHOWI
BRELL
群醫診
HHEEL
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Architect's perspective drawing of this splendid new cinema,
Balcony Lounge
The
The Rex Cinema for which Messrs. Swan & Maclaren are the Architects and Nanyang Structural Co. Ltd. the general contractors, is the only major cinema project carried out in Singapore since the termination of the War. designers were faced with great difficulties in carrying out a project of this nature during a time of acute shortage of building materials with all costs at a premium.
The site fronts on to two main roads, Bukit Timah Road and Mackenzie Road. After careful consideration of the pros and cons, it was decided to front the main entrance to Mackenzie Road, leaving space for an "In & Out" Car Park, running the whole length of the building and the site between the two main roads.
The length of the main building is 160 feet by about 80 feet wide with air-conditioning and generator rooms separated from the main building, so as to obviate any possible noise or vibration.
Seating Accommodation
The auditorium is 120 ft. long by 65 ft. wide with seating accommodation for 960 people and a balcony with a seating capacity for 372 persons. The whole building has been
constructed in reinforced concrete with steel roof trusses and with an average ceiling height of 39 ft,
Elevations
The main facade on Mackenzie Road is designed to be In keeping with the general trend of modern cinema design with a tower 60 ft. high, balanced by a large glazed window set at balcony level on the first floor.
The main elevations are extremely simple, but an attrac- tive and pleasing effect has been given by careful attention to balance and proportion rather than a mass detail. External light forms a feature of this elevation, all wall surfaces have, therefore, been treated in granolithic in two subtle shades of grey so as to emphasize the happy "marriage" of vertical and horizontals in the general composition,
The Foyer
The entrance foyer is 30 ft. in length and breadth with a wide flight of steps to stall level, paved in terrazzo in shades of green, black and red. The walls have been decorated in shades of green and silver with indirect lighting to give warmth and intimacy on entry to the building. A bar decorated in similar shades has been incorporated at this level.
The first floor lounge is 45 ft. wide by 40 ft., extending right underneath the rake of the balcony steppings. This has an attractive bar and a private dining space incorporated. The lounge and restaurant follows the same colour and lighting scheme as for the ground floor entrance lobby.
Roof Garden
A Roof Garden, commanding extensive views over the adjoining district, is reached by stairs from the balcony lounge. Adjoining is a private box on one side and on the other are the projection room, re-winding room and the switch room.
Special Features In The Auditorium
The general colour scheme for the auditorium has been carried out in a warm red and pink in a "leaf motif" of various sizes. A strong black and gold dado surrounds the walls of the stalls and ground floor.
Indirect lighting in troughs and ribs has been introduced in such a manner as to break up the large wall and ceiling spaces. A special feature of the lighting arrangement at balcony level which is a band of indirect lighting carried right round the front of the balcony up to the Proscenium Arch. The scheme terminates in a dominating proscenium decorated in black and gold.
The screen is 24 feet X 18 feet and the stage is the first of its kind to be designed specially for cinemas.
The chairs in the balcony and stalls are of the tip-up type and were imported from Australia. Easy access is afforded between the rows. The seats are covered in a blue texture, whilst the stall floors are laid over with a sound deadening black and red speckled rubber floor,
The theatre is air-conditioned throughout. Equipment
"Simplex" sound equipment and "Simplex" E.7 Projectors have been installed. This sound system embodies rotary stabilizers sound head which give good sound projection with- out "flutter". A two-way speaker system ensures distribution of sound throughout the large auditorium and balcony. The auditorium walls have been designed to present a broken plane surface to the sound waves so that "echo" is reduced to a minimum. Stand-by equipment is also installed.
Architects-Messrs. Swan & Maclaren.
General Contractors-Nanyang Structural Co. Ltd. Interior Decoration-Ker-Lindsay Decorations.
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