Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

26 Better Theatres Section April 12, 1930 Sketch No. 7. — Foyers and stage lofts unite into a composite whole. thought for the patron’s comfort, which he will not fail to appreciate when standing in line on a stormy evening. In general, the box office should conform to the general exterior and lobby design, in addition to being an object of beauty and the means of arousing interest as to the theatre interior. General Atmosphere The theatre front should give an invitation to the passerby by its intimate atmosphere, suggesting romance and adventure. The ideal exterior for a playhouse will make it a bright spot. In attempting to gain this intimate feeling, we have learned to avoid the classic designs, with their cold, hard lines, leaving such types for use in libraries, art galleries, banks, etc. A few years ago we felt an urge to do something different in theatre exterior design, and we proposed a design (Sketch No. 1) to a client of ours, as a departure from the usual in a theatre front. He quickly set us right. “No,” said he, “folks will think that my building is the U. S. Mint, or somebody’s mausoleum! Give me a sketch with some life in it and I’ll talk business!” The accompanying photograph shows the building as it appeared when completed. Built of polychrome terra cotta, in shades that delight the coior-loving eye, it is a design that is anything but repellant to the man on the street. In an effort to avoid the coldness of the classic type, some designers make the mistake of overloading the theatre front with unnecessary ornament and “fussy” details. These, if carried to an extreme, have a tendency to detract from the central or dominant feature of the exterior. Essentials of Good Design The Dominant Feature IT is an accepted rule of good architectural design that every exterior should have a dominant feature. There is no set rule for its location, as it may be in the center, at the end, or at one side of the central point of the building. However, it should always be placed so that it will immediately lead the eye to the theatre entrance. When placed in the exact center of the front, the dominant feature is usually wider than the contrasting sub-dominant, or less important, surfaces at either side, up to a width where such an arrangement would make the central feature clumsy. The idea is graphically expressed in Sketch No. 2. In extremely long buildings, a number of secondary features may be used to break the monotony of the walls, always keeping in mind the fact that they must be secondary , so as not to detract from the central motif. To attempt to cover, in an exhaustive manner, all the possibilities of the dominant feature, would be to weary both the writer and the reader. We would merely suggest, therefore, that the central thought may consist of an arch, series of arches, spaces flanked by columns or pilasters, or the whole may be a mass of long lines, accentuated in the modern manner, with endless variations, according to the specific tastes of the designer. The Structural Frame The structural frame of the building is planned with this central motif in mind, as well as with a vision of the whole exterior and the various parts adapted to the purpose they are to serve in the finished building. The “moderns,” especially, glory in structural details frankly presented and beautified in the design. Scale In determining the size of the dominant feature and the whole exterior, proportion and scale demand consideration. Imagine a small community theatre, seating less than 1,000 persons, designed with ornaments comparable in size with those suitable for a 5,000-seat deluxe house, and see how your sense of proportion will be outraged! In a similar manner, the scale of the exterior of a small theatre should not give promise of an auditorium of deluxe capacity. This is a part of what some designers mean by “truth” in architecture. Balance Having chosen the central feature and determined its proper scale, top-heaviness and lop-sided effects are avoided by the theory of balance. A glance at Sketch No. 3 reveals possible balancing mediums, in long walls and secondary features which offset the weighty effect of the tower, which in this case is the dominant feature. Rhythm and Harmony Rhythm is found in the repetition of line, ornament and the general tone of the design. We find grotesque variations from the central thought upsetting, which no doubt accounts for much of the turmoil which filled the public mind when the first crude modernistic stage sets and decorations appeared. Carrying the development of modernistic design farther along the path of art, we find a harmony of thought slowly taking form, which satisfies our innate desire for rhythm in our buildings, as in our music. The Use of Line Another factor in design which is receiving more attention at the present moment than perhaps any other detail, is the use of line. Lines are used primarily to relieve monotony. A perfectly square building front can be made to appear taller and less monotonous by the use of unbroken perpendicular lines. Sketches Nos. 4 and 5 illustrate the height given to a commercial building of any type by the use of up and down lines, in contrast with the same building designed with a lavish use of horizontal lines. [To be continued in the next issue.]