It was a renovation of the popular Astor Theatre, established as the Merthyr Picture Palace c. 1921, on the same site at the corner of Brunswick and Barker Streets.

[1] The site – part of a larger parcel of land alienated in 1845 - had been subdivided by 1880 as a residential allotment of 44 perches (1,100 m2), and a cottage, fronting Barker Street and Oxley Lane, appears to have been extant by 1883.

There does not appear to have been any development of the northern end of this block prior to approval being granted by the Brisbane City Council in September 1921, for Mousley & Halliday of New Farm to erect a picture show with concrete and iron walls at the corner of Barker and Brunswick Streets.

Brisbane City Council approval for the renovations to the Merthyr Picture Palace was gained in September 1924, and it is likely the alterations had been completed by the end of the year.

The introduction of wide screens, technicolour and superior sound systems failed to halt this worldwide trend, and many of Brisbane's suburban theatres closed in the 1960s and 1970s.

Another approach, pioneered in Australia in Melbourne in the 1960s, was to create multi-screen cinemas within the shells of existing single auditorium theatres.

In the conversion, Monsborough economically adapted the existing volume of the early cinema to create two smaller yet spacious theatres under the one roof.

[1] The Telegraph described Ron Monsborough as "acknowledged as a leading Australian cinema design architect" and that the Village Twin "is the best example of his outstanding ability in this field."

Of particular note was Cinema One, described by one movie reviewer of the day as "a beautiful sea-blue auditorium, with a roof which makes one think of white coral".

Special features in the foyer included a fountain and wall-mounted, beaten copper Gemini figures which symbolised the twin aspects of the complex.

The then general manager Bruce Simpson said that the "complex is directed at the sophisticated young people of the city ... but would not alienate those of a more conservative outlook".

The cinemas deteriorated to a poor condition, and were the subject of demolition fears, especially when the 1970 Blue Room auditorium at the rear of the building was demolished in 2011 for safety reasons.

[2][3] The Village Twin was located on the corner of Brunswick and Barker Streets, New Farm and bordered by Oxley Lane at the rear.

Large orange lettering designed in the style of the Village corporate logo from the 1970s was affixed to the upper right hand corner.

On each side of the entry doors, three glass display cabinets were set into the tiled walls with posters of current and forthcoming attractions.

The foyer is stepped, not unlike the grand picture palaces of the interwar period where entry into the cinema was staged to heighten the experience of arrival.

This theme is continued through to rubbish bins, ashtrays and display units which are made of the same timber with strong horizontal design elements and aluminium details.

The ticket office was located in the space beneath the stairs to Cinema Two (which was previously occupied by a fountain and decorative light fitting).

Bold geometric carpet with a pattern of purple, green and blue circles and ellipses in a black background covered the floor throughout the entire foyer area, including the stairs.

[1] A large alcove that formerly housed a coffee shop and art gallery ran along the right hand side of the lower foyer.

A long banquette upholstered in bright blue vinyl and wool ran along the Barker Street wall and a number of chairs and tables were positioned here.

Each entrance had a pair of heavy timber double doors recessed into vestibule spaces for the stairs leading up into the auditoria.

An office, which was previously part of the coffee shop, was next to the candy bar at a level between the upper and lower foyers with small sets of steps between the two.

The female toilets retained a separate powder room area with a small vinyl covered bench and large mirrors on the far wall.

The most obvious feature was the vaulted ceiling, a plaster moonscape with craters of varying depths which conceal red, blue and green lights.

Architectural drawings from the 1970s refurbishment reveal that the plaster ceilings are attached to the bottom chord of the earlier curved timber truss.

Timber screens of horizontal panelling divided areas of seating and a solid balustrade of similar detailing ran along the edge of the void at the top of the entry stairs.

In particular the remaining curved timber truss which is unique to Queensland cinema design and the 1920s facade and exterior form of the former Astor, are important.

The highly decorative moulded ceilings of the cinema auditoria, the timber panelling, brick facing, carpeting and fittings in the foyers and the original and surviving internal colour schemes all contribute to the aesthetic and architectural significance of the building.

Located on a slight rise on busy Brunswick Street, the place is a well-known New Farm landmark and a theatre on this site has been the focus of social activity and popular culture in the suburb since the 1920s.