Capitol Theatre
Capturing the Capitol Theatre Refurbishment
RMIT's vision to restore the Capitol Theatre and transform it for future generations, by creating and rejuvenating the facilities to bring the arts back to students, is one of the most exciting projects our VE Photography and Photo Imaging students have ever been a part of. Since the renovation started in June 2018, students have been given access to document the demolition and construction and will continue to do so until its completion in February 2019. I've walked past the Capitol Theatre for years and not really known anything about it. I was very fortunate to be asked and given access to document the demolition and the resurrection of the site. I remember the first time I walked into the theatre: I was completely mesmerised by the size, architecture and history of the building. I sat in the main theatre space for over an hour, completely in awe of this incredibly beautiful and forgotten piece of Melbourne history.
I've had the privilege to learn so much about the building and its history, exploring every inch of the space, crawling through the walls and the roof to discover it had a retractable roof. Igor (Hill) and I were the first to discover a signature, high in the stage space, signed 'Fred Taylor and JK 1926'. The excitement of this project is that our images will be used as part of the history of the building that future generations will be able to look back on.
The Capitol, 2022
by RMIT University
Published by Tracy O’Shaunghnessy
Country: Australia
Designed by Stephen Banham | Letterbox
Editor Cinzia Cavallaro
Printed by Bowen Street Press
Size: 200 x 200
Pages: 112
Edition of: 500
Printing: Printed and bound in Australia by Printgraphics
AWARDS:
2021 Australia’s Emerging Photographers Awards | Art Category | Top 30
2021 Australia’s Emerging Photographers Awards | Black & White Category | Top 30
2021 Australia’s Emerging Photographers Awards | Single Shot | Top 40
2020 Australian Photographer of the Year Awards | Creative Category | Top 50
2019 Australia’s Emerging Photographers Awards | Art Category | Top 30
2019 Australia’s Emerging Photographers Awards | Documentary Category | Top 30
