The Magnificent Granada Theatre
The Granada Theatre holds a special place in the memory of Sherbrooke residents; it was a center of cultural life in Sherbrooke upon opening its doors in 1929 and it was a popular hotspot of downtown Sherbrooke. If you were from the area, it was the place to go on the evenings and weekends with your friends and family.
The Granada Theatre was designed by architect D.J. Crighton and it was built by the United Amusement Corporation between 1928-1929. The interior design was created by interior decorator Emmanuel Briffa.
The Granada was designed as an atmospheric theatre. The interior was purposely designed to make visitors feel like they are in a particular time and place, and its architecture was influenced by the Spanish Revival style. At the time, the theatre could fit up to 1,700 people.
The trompe-l’oeil painting style used in the Granada, meaning “fool the eye,” makes people feel like they are in a completely different time and place. It provided a place for Sherbrookers to escape the hustle and bustle of life.
The ceiling looks like the night sky and makes people feel like they are looking up at the stars. The designs by Briffa, such as his painted 3D objects like windows, railings, and balconies, are meant to evoke this sense of walking through the courtyard of a Spanish villa.
The Granada Theatre officially
opened its doors on January 18th, 1929 on Wellington Street North where it became the heart of the city.
Not only did the theatre entertain guests with films and live performances; it was significant in its role of informing the Sherbrooke population as to what was taking place throughout the rest of the world. The Theatre screened newsreels that kept the city informed about the important events taking place, especially during the Second World War.
When it first opened its doors, black and white silent films owned the big screen. Talking films eventually arrived to the Granada with the film Street Angel in 1929. The Granada would also screen some of the first movies in colour such as Gone With The Wind.
While the Granada had a stage where local and international artists came to perform, such as the Symphony Orchestra of Sherbrooke, movies were the main attraction.
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, as movie theaters started to move into shopping malls, the newest trend, film screenings at the Granada started to slow down. The Granada would officially put an end to its film screenings around 1983.
For many years, the Granada passed through the hands of different owners who had ideas to revitalize the space but they were never made a reality; the Granada stood, in all its glory, abandoned and unkept.
In 1997, the City of Sherbrooke finally purchased the building. This was made possible with a donation on part of the Louis Lagassé Foundation. With this donation, the city was able to renovate and restore the beautiful features of the Granada Theatre.
While the theatre no longer does film screenings, it was renovated to be a multipurpose hall. It now serves as a place for meetings, conferences, banquets, concerts, and national touring shows.
Since being purchased by the City of Sherbrooke, the Granada is under the management of the non-profit organization Animation Centre-ville Sherbrooke. As one of the very few atmospheric theatres left in Canada and the only one to have preserved most of its original interior design, the Granada Theatre was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1996. Its significance to the cultural heritage of Sherbrooke was recognized.
If you would like to visit the magnificent Granada Theatre, it is located at 53 Wellington Street North in downtown Sherbrooke.