Continuing my posts on the
Paramount Theatre in Oakland, today I'm looking in to the upstairs foyer and toilets. This photo (above) shows the entrance to the ante-room leading to the Ladies toilet.
Both the Mens and the Ladies have these wonderfully decorated entrances. A pair of peacocks worshipping, seemingly, a sunburst at the apex of the opening. On either side, a male and female figure dressed in period finery.
Beyond the ante-room, the ladies are provided with a powder room.
Here we can see a suitably Art Deco styled vent.
and a large skylight depicting seabirds.
The foyer linking the two toilet areas has a curved ceiling with heavy beams creating square niches for decoration of abstract patterns, stylised floral patterns and deer or antelope.
Across the foyer we can see the entrance to the Mens toilet and the ante-room beyond.
Unlike the Ladies ante-room which is carpeted, the Mens' has a fantastic tile floor.
References:
Paramount Theatre websiteArt Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger
, Therese Poletti
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What a splendid series of decorations, covering nothing less mundane than toilets. The designers of the Paramount Theatre in Oakland must have decided that doing one's hair and lipstick at the theatre deserved to be a luxurious experience. The skylight and vent are gorgeous, suggesting the designers considered every element with equal seriousness.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Have you seen the toilets at Radio City Music Hall in NYC ... they are the best. And I have to confess that when I tour an Art Deco building I'm always trying to get my camera into the Ladies (and Gents) toilets hoping that they haven't been modernised too much.
ReplyDeleteWonderful decorative details. Thanks for capturing w/pixels and sharing. Lets hope some designers are inspired to do such beautiful work in public spaces.
ReplyDeleteThanks VLT
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