Tasmanian entrepreneur E.J. Miller envisioned a world-class picture theatre in Hobart after witnessing the rising popularity of
silent films in
vaudeville programming at
Zeehan's
Gaiety Theatre and Theatre Royal. Miller, whose wealth was derived from the lucrative
Zeehan mineral field, travelled to the
United States, visited major cities and studied the latest advancements in picture theatre designs. On his return to Tasmania he engaged with Hobart architect George Stanley Crisp, who had previously designed the
Art Nouveau Palace Theatre opposite the
Hobart GPO on
Elizabeth Street. Located on the corner of Liverpool Street and Watchorn Street, Miller's original theatre design was intended to be a replica of
The Strand in
New York.
The Strand Theatre An exceptional example of the
Federation Free Classical style, the building featured an iconic checkered
parapet,
composite order pilasters, decorative
cornices,
leadlight windows and
wrought iron lanterns. Internally, it featured seating for 1,200 people (719 in the stalls and 481 in the dress circle), a
Tasmanian Blackwood staircase and dress circle,
Wunderlich ceilings, three cloak rooms, immersive wall murals, as well as fixtures and fittings manufactured in
Glenorchy.
Modernisation as the Odeon In the mid-1950s, then-exhibitor
Greater Union engaged with
Sydney-based architects Guy Crick & Associates to
modernise the theatre. The Strand underwent serious alterations, leaving the building both internally and externally unrecognisable. The façade was covered in
rainscreen cladding to present in a modernist style. To achieve this effect, its cornices and pilasters were chiseled back, its parapet was partially levelled, leadlight windows discarded and wrought iron features removed. Modernist
neon signage was erected. It reopened as the
Odeon Theatre in 1956, the year of the
Melbourne Olympics which saw the introduction of television across Australia. Although branded as "The Theatre of Tomorrow", Greater Union did not foresee the lasting effect of television.
ABC Odeon Theatre The Odeon fell into financial hardship and was purchased by the
ABC in 1970, becoming a recording studio for ABC Radio. During the ABC's tenureship, it was known as the
ABC Odeon Theatre, and internally referred to as Studio 720. At some point, pieces of cladding were removed to reveal several windows, including the central arch, to allow more light into the upstairs foyer. It became the home of the
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) in 1973. The TSO broadcast many radio and television performances from the theatre and recorded several albums. In 1978, vocalist
Judith Durham of
The Seekers and pianist Ron Edgeworth recorded material for their live album,
The Hot Jazz Duo at the theatre. Other musicians to record at the Odeon include
Larry Sitsky,
Jan Sedivka,
Ade Monsbourgh,
Judi Connelli,
Suzanne Johnston,
Guy Noble,
Deborah Conway,
George Dreyfus,
Scared Weird Little Guys,
David Porcelijn,
James Ledger, tenor
Donald Smith, composer Michael Smetanin and the
Australian Rosny Children's Choir. An
ABC Shop occupied the Watchorn Street corner shopfront in the 1990s. signage based on the original 1956 neon was installed in 2018 Over time, the world-class orchestra outgrew the theatre's amenities, with the dressing rooms and backstage facilities noted as being especially inadequate. After 28 years, the TSO relocated to
Federation Concert Hall in 2001. The Odeon was then purchased by the
Christian City Church, who renovated the interior and restored many of the original Federation-era features. The original building façade, disfigured beneath its 1950s cladding, was required to be retained and restored. Riverlee acquired more properties on the block bound by
Liverpool Street,
Murray Street, and Watchorn Street that contain the Odeon Theatre and Tattersalls Hotel. The site has an frontage along Liverpool Street. A town planning permit has been obtained for a commercial building of over net lettable area. In 2019, the Odeon and surrounding "Hanging Garden" cultural precinct underwent a $5 million mixed-use redevelopment. The scheme was developed in partnership with DarkLab, a subsidiary of the
Museum of Old and New Art, which works on creative projects outside the usual scope of Mona.
2022 masterplan In September 2022, Riveree and DarkLab unveiled a new masterplan for the Hanging Garden Precinct. Designed by Melbourne-based architects
Fender Katsalidis with support from
Six Degrees Architects, the new development outlines retaining and restoring the Odeon Theatre auditorium, whilst developing a fifteen story, "180+ key hotel" directly above the upper lobby area. ==Film premieres==