Dolby Theatre

The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in the Hollywood and Highland Center shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue, in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, United States. Since its opening on November 9, 2001, the theater has hosted the Academy Awards ceremonies (the Oscars), initially held there in March 2002. It is the first permanent home for these annual awards ceremonies.

Architecture

The theater was designed by David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group, with Theatre Projects Consultants, specifically with the Oscar ceremonies in mind. Though the stage is one of the largest in the United States — roughly tied with the Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music at Purdue University — measuring 113 ft (34 m) wide and 60 ft (18 m) deep, its seating capacity is only about half the Hall of Music's, accommodating 3,332 people.

The result of astute planning and technical design, the auditorium is particularly successful as a venue for televised theatrical performance (improving production values for American Idol and the Academy Awards). The architectural team consulted extensively with leading production personnel in Hollywood, achieving a highly functional cable infrastructure, with an underground cable bunker that crosses under the theater to truck locations on adjacent streets. Power is also substantial and accessible. The theater has a unique, Rockwell-designed cockpit in the orchestra seating area for camera, sound, and stage management.