Regent Theatre Restoration

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The Regent Theatre was built by the Australasian cinema and theatre chain J.C. Williamson Limited. The Melbourne architect Charles Hollinshed was hired to design the building which was completed in 1930 at a cost of £46,000, becoming the largest and most lavish auditorium in the city. It retained its dual-purpose cinema and theatre functions for much of its life, before falling into relative disuse and eventually closing in 1991. The Palmerston North City Council purchased the building 1993 and began restoration work in 1996.

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The Regent Theatre is a now rare survivor of the heyday of the theatre/cinema. As the only such venue in Palmerston North to survive to this day, the Regent is of great social importance to the city. The exterior design, and to a much greater degree, interior design are remarkably authentic and rare examples of theatre design in New Zealand, and as such, the Regent is a landmark building in type and style.

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Article in the Manawatu Standard newspaper reflecting on the theatre restoration project.