Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Federal Theater - Malacca, Malaysia (Guest Photos)

With a large percentage of Thailand's movie theaters already documented, my mind wanders to future expeditions in neighboring countries. Last summer a glimpse of Malaysia's cinema treasures was kindly shared by a fellow architectural photographer, sparking my interest in exploring movie theater relics in that country. At this point, however, the likelihood of that happening remains distant.

In the meantime, please enjoy this series of the Federal Theatre in Malacca, submitted by Malaysian-based photographer Raz Talhar.

Raz says that the Federal was built in 1965 by the Shaw organization and could accommodate up to 1130 poeple.

It was last used as a furniture store, though now sits abandoned. The immediate area around the theater, however, is undergoing a massive redevelopment. As of Raz's last visit in late 2014, the theater plot was sitting behind large metal hoardings.

It would be nice to see the developers incorporate a revived Federal Theatre into their upcoming project, but I would't hold my breath on that.


Remains of Federal Theater, Malacca


Federal screen


Balcony seating


Circle seating entrance


Projection room


Remains

Monday, March 9, 2015

SEAMTP on Thai Channel 11

A little help spreading the preservationist message from Thailand's Channel 11: