The Main Attraction

The primary design concept for the 16-plex theatre and 18,500 square feet of retail space is the Rotunda--80 feet in diameter and 54 feet high. The precedent for the rotunda lies a few blocks away in the historic Fox Theatre now under restoration. The main feature of the Fox’s lobby is an interior domed rotunda, complete with painted faux sky and articulated columns. The rotunda recalls the Fox’s grand space, continuing a legacy for Stockton movie patrons, its circle welcoming people from all directions. A glass skylight allows maximum daylight and the dome’s size makes for spectacular illumination at night.

Neighboring buildings inspired the rest of the design to create a cohesive community of buildings. The arches of the retail and theatre bays recall those on the Hotel Stockton, the Stewart-Eberhardt Building, and others in the Downtown. The red tile roofs of the retail provide a visual link to the Hotel and the Civic Auditorium. The building’s mass is punctuated by changes of materials, stepping of the cornice and entrances, retail entrances, and landscaping. The colors will complement the nearby St. John’s Episcopal Church and Hotel Stockton by using very organic and natural terracotta, warm adobe stucco colors, and red and brown granite-like tile accented with modern splashes of glass and steel.

Pedestrians will enjoy strolling by the retail windows, light wall sconces, richly colored wainscot, awnings, and internally illuminated poster cases of the theatre. The street trees and lighting, landscaping, and paving patterns of the plaza and sidewalk will also enrich the user environment. From the rotunda center, the radiating pattern of the plaza uses banding and brick or red-colored insets that complement the award-winning Dean DeCarli Waterfront Plaza across the street.

A grand plaza between the Hotel Stockton and the Cinema/retail project creates a variety of open space experiences for the public and cinema and retail patrons. Reinforcing the general foot traffic pattern coming from the new parking garage on El Dorado Street, a linear fountain design guides pedestrians to the theater’s entry. The visual water elements and resultant playful sounds celebrate the historical significance of water in the City, as well as suggest the entertainment activities to come. Tall palms define the plaza, allow visibility from passing vehicles, and soften the edge. Plaza users will enjoy outdoor dining and other activities under the shade of crape myrtles. Trees and potted plants further enhance the retail experience along old Channel Street.