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Capitol Theatre and Office Building, Melbourne, Australia, Interior Perspective

A work made of pencil and pastel on paper.

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  • A work made of pencil and pastel on paper.

Date:

c. 1922

Artist:

Walter Burley Griffin (American, 1876–1937)
Marion Mahony Griffin (American, 1871–1961)
Peck & Kempter (Australian, 1922–1924)

About this artwork

After moving to Australia to help build the new capital city of Canberra, Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin designed a theater complex in downtown Melbourne. The heart of this office and retail building was the movie house itself, created to seat more than 2,000 people and host a viewing experience like no other: The grotto- esque interior included a ceiling covered with thousands of crystalline plaster elements with colored lights that could be synchronized to the theater’s organ. Furnishings in green silk and copper velvet embodied the fantasy and wonder of the cinema in the new urban landscape.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Walter Burley Griffin (Architect)

Title

Capitol Theatre and Office Building, Melbourne, Australia, Interior Perspective

Place

Swanson Street, 113 (Building address)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1917–1927

Medium

Pencil and pastel on paper

Dimensions

56.2 × 76 cm (22 1/8 × 29 15/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Marion Mahony Griffin through Eric Nicholls

Reference Number

1990.347.2

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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