New Alhambra Theatre, Rue de Malte, Paris
The Alhambra, Paris, owned by Alhambra Paris Ltd., a subsidiary of General Theatres Corporation, was opened a few days ago and has been acclaimed as an architectural triumph. It is a combination of the extremely practical and the strikingly beautiful, due in turn to the combination of George Black and his theatre experience, with the architectural skill of Messrs. Gray & Evans, of Liverpool. This "Golden Theatre" is vast without being overpowering, impressive yet intimate and strictly modern without offending the canons of good taste and architecture. It has introduced a new tempo into Parisian entertainment, for it runs variety with the slickness of London Palladium practice and pictures as they are shown in the London West End houses, all much to the approval of Paris patrons. A competent critic, who has seen every important theatre on the Continent, assures us that the Alhambra is, in design and decoration, unquestionably now the finest theatre in Europe.
This new-born Alhambra is a superb building, a triumph of theatre architecture, built on the site of the old Alhambra Music Hall destroyed by fire five years ago. The front facade is situated in Rue de Malte, adjacent to the historic Place de la Republique. It has been carefully studied from the modern standpoint of English. architecture, expressive of what it stands for, without falling into the trap of over-expression and exaggeration of theatrical feeling, thereby mutilating architecture from all angles.
The entire facade is encased in marble. From the ground line to the marquise is covered with black Italian marble, and from the balcony line to the parapet walls with highly polished mural marble. The main entrance is composed of twelve pairs of swing doors in metal
The lighting of the marquise is unique, in that it is a total departure from the usual decorated soffit and pip lighting. Instead, is a wonderfully designed glass work fixed in a metal frame, which echoes the mezzanine balcony above in shape and contour. During the day the brilliant colours in the glass give life to the front entrance, and the electrical engineers have ingeniously concealed their method of lighting so as to obtain at night the best results out of this unique glass. The main facade above has been outlined with neon tubing of various colours. The whole of the main structure behind this elegantly polished surface is composed of reinforced concrete. This, naturally, offers greater difficulties to the architects in the way of ventilation. decoration and lighting, but all these difficulties have been wonderfully overcome.
Every precaution has been taken against fire by the employment of expensive fire hydrant systems concealed on stage, auditorium and in dressing rooms, with specially designed machinery to create abnormal water pressure in case of emergency. The stage can be flooded with ten tons of water in less than one minute.
The main entrance hall measures 100 feet wide. The floor has been carried out in flexophone terrazzo of a futuristic design, unique in design and colour. White metal strips run in all directions; these are super-imposed in the floor, and under artificial light give a wonderfully glittering effect. From this point no less than five staircases can be observed, leading to all parts of the theatre. The centre grand staircase measures 40 feet in width and leads up to a spacious landing, from which four other staircases lead to the first foyer and boxes of the first gallery.
A special note must be made of the design and material of the magnificent entrance doors leading to the auditorium and promenades. No mouldings whatsoever appear on the vestibule frame work or the doors themselves, which strike one with their simplicity The wonderful wine colour is due to a timber, called ameranth, little known in this country and of prohibitive costliness.
The first foyer has rich wall and ceiling textures and colours of gold, blacks and greens. The ceiling is entirely gold, and the great pilasters and columns are finished ebonite black with gold fluted modern capping and chromium plated bases. The skirting of the whole of this foyer is composed of chromium plated metal. The wall panelling is of modern character. with settings of a Basque or Spanish feeling, most ingeniously carried out by low relief work in addition to the excellently conceived colouring.
The glass work in the huge centre windows of this foyer is nothing short of marvellous, and, up to the present, nothing has been seen in any theatre in Europe or the States to surpass it. The richness of colour and the uniqueness of design simply cannot be conveyed by description.
The bars are well fitted, carefully designed, and are situated in the first and second foyers. A small bar is also situated in the first gallery and is called the English Bar. This is much admired by patrons, but we must admit it is somewhat of an advancement on the bars we have frequented up and down the country at home.
The second foyer has been well considered with its modern floor design in rubber and its vaulted ceilings all in gold and bright apple-green doors. All the fittings here again are chromium plated.
Once in the auditorium we are compelled to admit that it is the most beautifully conceived theatre that it has been our pleasure to visit. The wall textures, proscenium arch design and main ceiling are magnificent in form and colour and are emphasised by the concealed diffused lighting. Not a single shade or chandelier can be observed, all the lighting being deflected from concealed caverns and troughings. The entire lighting can be worked and interchanged into four different colours with dual control from stage and switch-room at the back of the theatre. One is struck with the ingenious planning of this auditorium and the close proximity of the two galleries to the stage, which in these modern times is so little considered. In this theatre one has a feeling of close association with the stage, in spite of the vast auditorium which surrounds one. The sight lines are well thought out, as the back of the stage can be observed from every seat in the theatre, of which there are 2,500. There are promenades for a further 1,000, a popular feature in France. The seats are luxurious, the space between the rows roomy and the gangways extraordinarily wide. giving a feeling of space and comfort. We are accustomed to boxes adjacent to the stage, but in this instance the architects have reversed the order, and the thirty-six boxes are situated at the rear of the auditorium and the first gallery
Shell-Shaped Main Ceiling
The loading of the balcony, always a problem, has been well tackled. The first five rows in each balcony are served from the four vomitory staircases, and the remainder of the seats are served from the back promenades of each balcony. Therefore, the patrons are well distributed and cause the least inconvenience to one another in their coming and going.
The decoration scheme in the auditorium is carried out by means of beautiful textures of a modern design on the main walls, and every inch of the gallery ceilings and domes have been carried out with combed textures and finished in gold leaf. The main ceiling is designed in three semi-circular tiers, which gives an impression of a delightfully shaped sea shell, and the colourings are gold autumn browns, terra cotta and straw colours.
The colourings of the carpets are wine background, greys and blacks. The seats are delicate rose-tinted. with gold gilt standards. The fittings throughout the theatre are chromium plated. The architects have taken precaution that where the cleaning of the theatre is frequent, such as main staircases, all the skirtings have been finished in black rubber to prevent discolouration.
The firing of the boilers is done by oil fuel, automatically controlled, and an engineer can control the entire temperature in any part of the theatre by observing the registration boards in the heating chambers
The main metal chandelier in the foyer over the grand staircase weighs three quarters of a ton. The luxurious carpet of this theatre has been specially designed and woven, and amounts to four miles
27 inches wide.
The projection box has been given meticulous care. The British Acoustic machines have been installed; the acoustic properties of the building are superb, and the quality of sound reproduction has been generally praised.
The stage equipment and setting are of the most modern type, designed for very high-speed variety shows, carried out to the requirements and arrangements of George Black. Lavish dressing-room accommodation is provided.
The architects for this wonderful theatre are the well-known firm of Messrs. Gray and Evans, of London and Liverpool, assisted by Mr. G. Gumpel, Paris. [The Bioscope - Wednesday 14 October 1931 page 50]
G.B. KINEMA FOR PARIS, BRITISH CONTRACTORS OF NEW ALHAMBRA - The British Trade and its technicians may well be proud of a new theatre which was inaugurated in Paris on Friday evening. It is the new Alhambra, built on the site of the theatre that was burnt down in 1925. The theatre is one of the chain of 380 owned by the British Gaumont Company. This undertaking, in which more than a quarter of a million pounds has been invested, is a remarkable example of British enterprise abroad. The auditorium is more spacious and comfortable in every way than in most French theatres. There is a clear view of the stage from every seat, and that bugbear of the French theatre, the gangway seat, has been eliminated. Seating is provided for 2,500 people. It is proposed to stage an entertainment including both films and music-hall turns. The magnoscope screen, the first of its kind in France, has been installed. The theatre was planned by Gray and Evans, the Liverpool architects, and among the contractors were Waring and Gillow (furnishings). W. Turner and Sons (seating, etc.), Strand Electric and Engineering (lighting), Marc Henri (decorations), Frank Burkitt (magnoscope screen), British Acoustic Films (reproducing apparatus), Troughton and Young (electricians). [Kinematograph Weekly Thursday 1 October 1931 page 27]
PARIS ALHAMBRA, BRILLIANT OPENING OF BRITISH- OWNED HALL - The new British-owned Alhambra has opened with a bang. The beauty and splendour of the place have surprised all Paris. The equipment is practically all British. The architects are Gray and Evans of Liverpool; the sound equipment is by British Acoustics. There is a Frank Burkitt magnascopic screen; the electrical installation is by Troughton and Young; and the stage lighting by Strand Electrical Company. The special "Sunray" lanterns together with the stage switchboard manufactured bt the Strand Company mark the latest advance in modern theatre lighting; the whole apparatus being designed for colour mixing by light in accordance with up-to-date methods. [Kinematograph Weekly - Thursday 15 October 1931 page 63] [The Era - Wednesday 30 September 1931 page 1]
Reference The Bioscope - Wednesday 14 October 1931 page 50- 51
Reference Kinematograph Weekly - Thursday 01 October 1931 page 27 – Contractors
Reference Kinematograph Weekly - Thursday 15 October 1931 page 63
References Architects Journal 17 January 1932 page 246-247
Reference salles-cinema.com Cinema l’Alhambra a Paris
