IMAX Melbourne

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IMAX Melbourne
Imax theatre melbourne.jpg
IMAX Melbourne main entrance
IMAX Melbourne
AddressRathdowne St, Carlton VIC 3053
Melbourne
Australia
Coordinates 37°48′12″S144°58′14″E / 37.80326762852938°S 144.97067585376553°E / -37.80326762852938; 144.97067585376553
OwnerMuseums Victoria
TypeCinema
Opened1998
Website
https://imaxmelbourne.com.au

IMAX Melbourne is an IMAX movie theatre in Carlton, Melbourne, Australia. It is the largest IMAX theatre in the Southern Hemisphere and the second largest in the world by screen size and capacity. [1] [2] [3] [a] It is owned and operated by Museums Victoria and is located eight-storeys beneath the Melbourne Museum. It features IMAX's dual laser projector, [7] as well as an IMAX 1570 film projector. [8]

Contents

History

Initial plans for the theatre were drafted in 1994 as part of the renovation of the Melbourne Museum. [9] Final plans for the theatre were announced in 1996, [10] with construction scheduled to begin in May of that year. [11] [12] After delays, final bids for the project were solicited in September of 1996. [13] During construction, more delays were encountered [14] due to contaminated soil and water seepage. [15] The cinema opened in March 1998 with a screening of the film Everest . [16] [17] At the time of opening, the screen was 31m x 23m. [16]

The cinema closed twice in the 2010s. In 2013, the cinema closed in order to receive a new IMAX digital xenon system that was installed alongside the existing 1570 projector, as well as to receive an upgraded screen. [18] Two years later, the cinema was closed again in order to replace said system with a new upgraded IMAX dual laser projection system, as well as an upgraded IMAX 12 Channel sound system. [19] In order to make room for the new dual laser projectors, the 15/70 projector was removed and put into storage. [20]

In 2016, following the closure of IMAX Sydney, IMAX Melbourne became the world's largest IMAX theatre, [21] [22] until the opening of the Traumpalast Leonberg Theater in 2021. [23] [24]

In 2017, after negotiations with the IMAX Corporation, the 1570 projector was reinstalled alongside the dual laser projectors for the release of Dunkirk. [25] With the release of Oppenheimer in 2023, IMAX Melbourne was one of only 30 cinemas in the world, and the only location in the Southern Hemisphere able to project the film on 1570. [b]

The cinema is located eight storeys beneath the Melbourne Museum, and is the largest IMAX theatre in the Southern Hemisphere [1] [2] and the second largest in the world [3] by screen size, at 32m x 23m. [30] The cinema seats 461 people, including 25 VIP seats. [31] The cinema features an IMAX 12 Channel Digital sound system as well as one IMAX dual laser projector [19] and one IMAX GT3D 1570 film projector. [20]

Comparison to other IMAX theatres in Australia

As of 2023, there is only one other IMAX theatre in Australia, which is IMAX Sydney. Compared to IMAX Sydney, IMAX Melbourne is larger in size, [32] as its screen is 32m x 23m, [33] while Sydney's is 29m x 24m; [34] [35] IMAX Melbourne also features a 1570 projector, while IMAX Sydney does not. IMAX currently has plans to open up to 40 more theatres in Australia, [36] [37] [38] [39] with one of those locations planned to be in Canberra. [40] [41] [42]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The largest theatre in the world is Traumpalast Leonberg Theater, located in Leonberg, Germany. [4] [5] [6]
  2. ↑ Attributed to many sources. [26] [27] [8] [28] [29]

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References

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  6. ↑ "Strong Builds World's Largest IMAX Screen in Germany". Digital Cinema Report. 4 October 2021.
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