Save the Regent

Thanks to Bob McLeod for this detailed analysis of the developer's proposal. It is especially revealing on the true nature of the "cinemas" which Premier Anna Bligh has promised will be part of the redevelopment:

Closer inspection of the plan for the development of the three screening areas with mini cinemas (actually referred to as auditoriums on the plans) by Brookfield Multiplex reveals a number of points that are very important.
Firstly, keep in mind the details of recent statements of Minister Lucas and Premier Bligh to the media on the Regent, then study the plans and you become aware of a number of anomalies.

The 300 seat Auditorium

Firstly, let’s look at the only indicated area that is deemed to be the large cinema.

• It shows a stepped area with a centre aisle and 10 levels of seating. This means, one would assume, with the focal length of projection shown, plus the indication of the proportions of the screen dimensions by scale, that this auditorium would have a ceiling cinema height of about 5 to 6.5 meters. This could only allow possibly for a very scaled-down version of the current Showcase Cinema ‘ceiling’ and plaster work, but not necessarily any of the original sidewall arches. You would have to be a pretty damn clever architect to assemble any of the original Regent decorations on these new walls.
• There is no stage or room for a set of theatre curtains.
• Note the position of the fire exit - entrances. There are none near the stage end, only at the back wall.
• Neither, does there appear on the plan to be space provisions for elaborate cinema sound system speakers, mandatory in today’s hi-tech digital cinemas.
• Calculation on the scale given is that the 300 theatre seats could only be an absolute maximum with standard size theatre seating.
• Installing ‘Gold or Platinum’ recliners of the style necessary to make it an acceptable, viable, quality cinema, would reduce its seating capacity somewhat. (Three rows of seats may be indicated as recliner seats, however if they were indeed recliners, which is doubtful, it would be very difficult to reach the promised 300 seats).
• There is no provision for handicapped seating areas according to the plan — nor are there any handicapped toilets!
• As indicated on the current plan, it shows a very plain, simple stepped basic auditorium with wide screen and projection facilities in an alcove, but no house curtain.
• (Note: QPAC’s Lyric Theatre is currently closed and spending millions to correct design faults made 25 years ago in areas like aisles, handicapped toilets and access to auditorium areas and doorways).
• Moving to outside the main ‘cinema’, the toilets for non-handicapped patrons only and are down along a corridor, past the other ‘cinema’ rooms, two thirds of way toward the Elizabeth Street frontage. They are limited to Male: 2 cubicles 3 urinals and Female: 4 cubicles. No handicapped toilets are provided in this area!
• The nearest Handicapped facilities are located across the other side of the building in another toilet block near a service elevator and fire escape stairwell in the Wintergarden shopping centre. This toilet block does not appear to be accessible from the “cinema” side of this level.
• It is also not clear how handicapped (wheelchair) patrons are able to access the cinema entertainment area from the Mall, if at all. Does it mean wheelies need to go around to Elizabeth Street entrance to gain access whilst their friends can use the normal grand foyer entrance to gain admittance?
• No Ticket box or any provision for patrons to make enquiries can be seen on the plan.
• There appears to be no concession area (candy bar / pop corn outlet — an essential part to every cinema complex’s profitability).

The two mini-cinemas (60 seats each)

The two mini–cinemas, as announced to Parliament and to the media by the Premier and her Deputy, are shown on the development application plan only as “multi function auditoriums”.
• They are divisible by a folding wall (is it sound proof?) between the two areas.
• An indication of their actual size is that they are similar to a suburban household garage. This can be easily gauged by the size of the motorcar on the car park ramp illustrated also on the plan. One ‘auditorium’ may hold 3 cars and the other 2 cars, for example!
• It is obvious that neither of these two areas, purported to hold 60 seats each, were designed by anyone with a knowledge of lines of sight and viewing acceptability for projected images on screens, because neither would realistically hold 60 seats!
• It is doubtful if these ‘cinemas’ (and even the larger one) would ever be commercially viable, given that the proposed public access is only on weekends.
• Further, the length and width of the combined two rooms is very unlikely structurally or aesthetically to have a ceiling of similar height to the auditorium/cinema adjoining. This would rule out any opportunity of placing the original Regent Theatre plaster elements (in the Showcase Cinema and adjoining areas) in there.
• Curiously although Deputy Premier Lucas announced these to be mini cinemas, they do not contain any fixed theatre seating, and are similar to scores of available small function rooms and even some boardrooms in Brisbane city hotels — and possibly not as well equipped!
• They also contain no bio- box projection area or screen! (Obviously one could not call them “mini-cinemas” — this is a misrepresentation of the truth).
• Perhaps showing fixed seating here may well have come into conflict with Brisbane City Council ordinances as to the number of toilets and handicapped facilities that must be provided in relation to theatre seating and public areas? Does this mean therefore that these areas will not really ever have a public use?

Grand Staircase Entry

At the top of the Grand Staircase leading into the new foyer of the auditoria or ‘cinema complex’, there appears to be a large area that is about 45% bigger than the main ‘cinema’ and is shown as tiled. This is surely a design blunder — stepping from the grandeur of the marble staircase and its surroundings into the cold, harsh, office environment as shown on the plan?
This area gives rise to the question, “why at least the 300-seat cinema could not be made bigger? Or contain a mezzanine bar area foyer/milling area similar to the current Regent cinema areas due to be destroyed?”
To align one’s thinking to this totally inappropriate design submitted by Brookfield Multiplex for preservation of just a little of the Regent’s heritage, imagine the opening night red carpet event of the BIFF (Brisbane International Film Festival) held in the ambience of the Grand Foyer.
Then those chosen 300 of the regular 900 attendees climbing the most famous marble staircase in Queensland, to enter the vast tiled floor of the office tower elevator lobby and find the tiny ‘cinema’ tucked away in the corner. The air of opulence and grandeur is lost… This is what patrons of the arts will be reduced to for the premiere screening of the BIFF !
- Bob McLeod