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Royal Theatre National Historic Site of Canada

805 Broughton Street, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1987/11/05

General view of Royal Theatre, showing the surviving classically inspired, exterior detailing including the arched entry, 2011.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, Andrew Waldron, 2011.
General view
General view of Royal Theatre, showing the box-like, five-storey massing, 2011.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, Andrew Waldron, 2011.
General view
Detail view of Royal Theatre, showing ground floor terra cotta facing laid to resemble stone, the polychrome and banded, diamon-patterned brickwork, 2011.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, Andrew Waldron, 2011.
Detail view

Other Name(s)

Royal Theatre National Historic Site of Canada
Royal Theatre
Théâtre Royal

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1912/01/01 to 1913/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2007/03/02

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Royal Theatre is a large, brick-faced theatre building occupying most of its urban lot in downtown Victoria.

Heritage Value

Royal Theatre National Historic Site was commemorated as a building of both historic and architectural significance because it is one of the finest surviving large-scale legitimate theatres in Canada.

The heritage value of the Royal Theatre is illustrated by the building itself, its monumentality and grandeur of surviving fabric. Built as The Royal Victoria Theatre in 1912-13 by the Victoria Opera House Company (William D'Olyly Rochfort and Eben W. Sankey, architects), this theatre was a venue for live dramatic, musical and vaudeville performances. Famous Players acquired the building in 1930, changed its name to the Royal Theatre, and established its primary use as a movie theatre. The Royal Theatre was restored as a live theatre in 1972.

Sources:
HSMBC Minutes, June 1987, November 1989, February 1990, July 1998; Commemorative Integrity Statement.

Character-Defining Elements

Aspects of this site which contribute to its heritage values include:
- the box-like, five-storey massing,
- the symmetrical organization of the facade,
- the division of the facade into three, horizontal zones, including a terracotta-faced lower zone, large, fenestrated middle zone, and attic zone with decorative cornice,
- the surviving classically inspired, exterior detailing including the arched entry, terracotta window surrounds, some with balustraded balconies, bas-relief panels and friezes, cornice and balustrade,
- exterior facing material on the facade, including ground floor terracotta facing laid to resemble stone, the polychrome and banded, diamond-patterned brickwork, and the terracotta cornice,
- the interior layout, defined as a sequence of spaces from the central Broughton Street entrance to the auditorium,
- the grand interior volumes, particularly the auditorium with its cantilevered balcony and proscenium arch,
- the ornate, classically-inspired interior detailing, particularly of the auditorium with its proscenium, pedimented doorway surrounds, the ceiling mouldings, swagged cartouches, rosettes and sculptures,
- the prominent siting of the building on the corner of the intersection of Broughton and Blanshard Streets.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Federal

Recognition Authority

Government of Canada

Recognition Statute

Historic Sites and Monuments Act

Recognition Type

National Historic Site of Canada

Recognition Date

1987/11/05

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

1912/01/01 to 1930/01/01
1930/01/01 to 1972/01/01

Theme - Category and Type

Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Learning and the Arts
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Leisure
Auditorium, Cinema or Nightclub

Architect / Designer

William D’Olyly Rochfort

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

National Historic Sites Directorate, Documentation Centre, 5th Floor, Room 89, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, Quebec

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

103

Status

Published

Related Places

northwest elevation

Royal Theatre

The Royal Theatre is a large building distinguished by a four-storey tall decorative brick and terra cotta facade. It is located at the corner of Broughton and Blanshard Streets.

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