The Theatre Royal Building Is a Nathan Rd. Landmark
Architect:
G. D. Su, B. Sc. (Arch.)
RISING in dominating fashion
from a corner site on Kowloon's bustling Nathan Road, the Theatre Royal building is a recent addition to the tall buildings which line this main thoroughfare and whose bril liant night-time illuminations en- hance its atmosphere of non-stop activity.
The building. which houses also an hotel, is bounded by Nathan Road, Sai Yeung Street and Bute Street. and has an area of 19,000 square feet.
The hotel has space on the ground floor (lobby), first to fifth floors (restaurant), and sixth to 11th floors (accommodation).
There is a nightclub on the 12th floor, and a clubhouse for senior staff of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Ltd., owners of the building, is located on the 13th floor.
The facade and exterior generally are exceptionally attractive. Their treatment is at once modern and simple. Marble facing extends under a canopy for the height of the entire ground floor. Vitreous mosaic tiles have been used effectively upwards from the canopy.
The theatre has a seating capacity of 1,372 906 in the auditorium and 466 in the balcony.
The appearance of the theatre's ap- proaches and interior, its furnishings and appointments, and its overall design. justify the claim that the Royal is "the most de luxe first-run cinema house in the Colony."
Marble flooring and walling throughout the entire ground floor lobby blend pleasingly with teak- wood panelling along the staircase which leads from the centre of the lobby to a spacious, comfortably- furnished foyer on the first floor.
The architect's conception of a delicately-fashioned staircase and towering central columnar motif, has been strikingly carried out.
The entire interior walls of the cinema proper are teakwood-lined, with a dado of striped panelling.
Acoustic board of modern design also has been used with an effect that is both pleasing to the eye and functional.
The air conditioning system in- stalled at the theatre by Yee On Hong Co. Ltd. is the leading Wor thington Freon-22 Direct Expansion System with a total cooling capacity of 140 tons consisting of two sets of 70-ton refrigerating units.
Each compressor is direct-driven by a low speed 70 h.p. electric motor for high operating efficiency,
Top, the theatre, brilliantly illuminated, is a Above, this modernistic design enhances the altractively-designed lounge has a broad store rest of the theatre, is on
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