EAST END OF FLINDERS ST

Walking towards the City from the eastern end of Flinders St, one of the main thoroughfares of Melbourne, one sees the numerous train tracks towards the south, leading towards Flinders St Station; then towards the north the City skyline, and of course the Forum Theatre, a well known landmark - an arabesque whimsy from the golden age of the movies.

The Forum Theatre (formerly known as the "State Theatre") is located on the corner of Flinders Street and Russell Street in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The building was designed by American architect John Eberson, who has designed many theatres across the globe, along with a local architectural firm at the time; Bohringer, Taylor & Johnson. It was designed as an "atmospheric theatre" movie palace. The interior features reproductions of Graeco-Roman statuary and a sky-blue ceiling decorated with small stars, mimicking a twilight sky.

When it opened in February 1929, the cinema had the largest seating capacity in Australia, holding 3371 people. The building features a Moorish Revival exterior, with minarets and a clock tower.In the 1963 the venue was converted into two cinemas, the Forum and the Rapallo, by cinema chain Greater Union. In 1978 the Forum was listed on the Historic Buildings Register. In 1981 renovations took place, dividing the complex into Forum I and Forum II. Forum I being the larger of the two is located on the ground floor and generally used for concerts and other large-scale performances, whereas the third-floor Forum II is a smaller venue with a total capacity of 543 (concert) - 594 (screening) as opposed to Forum I's 1500 (standing) or 788 (cabaret) or 826 (theatre).

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.