State Theatre (Hong Kong)

State Theatre Building along King's Road in January 2017.
The special features of the roof
State Theatre Building along King's Road in 2013.

The State Theatre (Chinese: 皇都戲院) is a former cinema in Hong Kong. It is located in the North Point area along King's Road (nos. 277-291). Concerns were raised in 2015 that it may be demolished in the near future.[1] The building was listed as a Grade I historic building in March 2017.[2]

History

The cinema opened in December 1952 as the Empire Theatre (璇宮戲院). It closed in 1957, and reopened in 1959 as the State Theatre, following extensive renovations. The State Theatre closed in 1997.[3]

Since July 2015 New World Development has been progressively buying out the numerous shops on the ground floor of the former theatre, with a view of demolishing the building for redevelopment. In response Docomomo International has included the building on its 'Heritage in danger' list since 23 March 2016, in particular citing its unique "parabola-like" concrete arches above its roof.[4]

In films

The State Theatre was featured in the 1978 film Game of Death starring Bruce Lee[5] and in the 1998 film The Longest Summer, directed by Fruit Chan.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State Theatre facing demolition after 63 years". Time Out Hong Kong. 16 December 2015. Archived from the original on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  2. ↑ List of new items for grading assessment with assessment results. Item N46
  3. ↑ State Theatre on cinematreasures.org
  4. ↑ "Heritage in danger". Docomomo International. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Game of Death - Bruce Lee (1978) - State Theatre, North Point

Further reading

  • Ma, Oi-woon (馬靄媛) (9 March 1997). "別了！皇都！別了，北角的光影歲月！". Ming Pao. p. D1.
  • State Theatre - King's Road, North Point. Blog entry, 13 September 2014
  • "蘇聯建構主義　北角皇都飛拱". Apple Daily. 26 August 2013. (in Chinese)
  • Yau, Man-ching, Cindy (1996). Redevelopment of State Theatre (Thesis). University of Hong Kong.

Coordinates: 22°17′25″N 114°11′44″E / 22.290377°N 114.195446°E / 22.290377; 114.195446

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