Victoria Opera House

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Description

Located in Victoria Hall before restoration began.

Notes

(80ft. long, 45ft. wide, 35ft. high)
This magnificent room is the core of Victoria Hall. It had a wooden floor (not on springs as at one time claimed) supported by pine beams bolted together, each about 6 inches wide and about 20 inches deep spanning the width of the hall. Now the floor is reinforced concrete with an overlay of hardwood.
The once beautiful painted ceiling was originally done by Mr. Moser as were the walls and the curved freize. The redecorating of this hall has been done by Mr. Roman Svoboda, and follows very closely the original design, as a considerable portion of the original painted ceiling was intact above the 1880 wooden ceiling. It is raised/lowered by motors above the ceiling.
The plaster ceiling began to deteriorate after about 20 years and was replaced by a wooden ceiling about 5 feet lower in 1880. The stage was enlarged, the main floor was changed to a sloping theatre type floor and a double balcony was added. This curtailed the use of the hall to chiefly theatre and musical use. Under the restoration programme the hall had to be changed back to its all-purpose use, with the floor again level.

Date of Original

c. 1970

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