| 2006
Top Ten Endangered Sites
Top 10 2006 |
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 Say
it’s not true! Vancouver's fabulous Vogue theatre —
a National Historic Site and a Vancouver Heritage Register
A-listed site — is threatened.
Allied Properties has purchased the building,
and the initial plan to convert the theatre to a supper club/cabaret
suggests an irrevocable compromise of the theatre’s
elaborate interior spaces. Stepped tables will replace the
theatre seating with the existing stage converted to kitchen
space.
This 1940 landmark, designed for the Odeon chain
by architects Kaplan and Sprachan, is a magnificent example
of the Art Deco style. The Vogue's towering prow-like signage,
etched in neon and topped by goddess Diana's golden silhouette,
has been a defining image on the Granville streetscape for
over 60 years.
A herald of the new modern age, the theatre's
crisp stylized architecture and streamlined forms provided
both a glimpse of the future and a vicarious experience of
Hollywood glamour. This message was carried through to the
exquisite lobbies and the auditorium, and expressed with sinuous
curvatures and detailed in fine woodwork and distinctive period
lighting.
Of particular note is the auditorium ceiling,
an undulating swirl of stepped tiers back lit with neon tubing.
The auditorium's sidewalls are finished in padded fabric mounted
with stylized Diana silhouettes and are flanked by murals
painted by master decorator Ernest Prentis. The acoustics
are excellent and, unlike most other movie houses, the Vogue
can accommodate both movies and live shows — which explains
why the Vogue has continued to be an active venue for live
music and performance.
The Vogue should be retained as a performing
arts venue. Because it recently lost an alternative waterfront
location, the City needs a new medium-sized performance venue.
Why can’t the City use the money earmarked for a new
facility to acquire and rehabilitate the Vogue as a civic
theatre instead?
Divorcing the theatre's architecture from its
intended use cannot help but impair its historic status. If
the new use is a cabaret, so much the worse, as the retention
of period décor is not likely to be compatible with
the requirements of a contemporary nightclub.
For those who remember the old Commodore, listen
up!
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| Jan
2006 ; Detail of sidewalk at entrance; Heritage
Vancouver photo |
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Jan
2006 ; Front entrance of building; Heritage
Vancouver photo |
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| Jan
2006 ; Marquee; Heritage Vancouver photo |
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Jan
2006 ; Upper front of building; Heritage
Vancouver photo |
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