page_title: ByTowne Cinema
section_title: Renovations
hierarchical_section_title: ByTowne Cinema / History / Renovations
caption_attribution_description: Image of ByTowne cinema's main entrance with marquee sign
context_page_description: The ByTowne Cinema is a one-screen repertory movie theatre located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1947, the cinema is one of Ottawa's oldest movie theatres and the city's main venue for independent and foreign films. The 650-seat cinema is located on Rideau Street at Nelson, several blocks east of the Rideau Centre.
context_section_description: The cinema was built in 1946 by the prolific architects Harold Kaplan and Abraham Sprachman.
  Since 1947, the ByTowne has made many improvements and renovations: the screen and projection, completely renovated the washrooms and installed new seats with more legroom.
  The theatre was renovated in the early sixties to add wider and plusher seats, reducing its seating capacity from 940 to 770. Likewise, 70 mm projection facilities, along with new sound systems and wider screens were installed.
  The cinema was renovated again in 2000 and 175 old ByTowne seats were replaced. One hundred and fifty "airline-style" seats were salvaged from the recently closed Capitol Square multiplex on Queen Street. When those seats were installed in the 1980s, they were known as "the best seats in town", equipped with high backs and cupholders. The seating in the ByTowne Cinema was reduced to 670 and the renovations costed $30,000. On March 25, 2000, in order to pay for the renovations, a garage sale was held by the ByTowne Cinema. Movie posters, CDs, and film reels were offered as sale items.
  In the fall of 2011, the cinema installed Christie digital projector, although its two 35mm projectors remain operational. In May 2013, the ByTowne renovated its auditorium. The ground level seats were replaced with 435 new Greystone "Madrid" chairs. The total number of seating was reduced to 650.
caption: The last existing original theatre marquee in the Ottawa-Hull area.[3]
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