Built in 1927, the Empress Theatre, with its Egyptian Revival style, played host to a variety of forms of entertainment over the years, including burlesque, dinner theatre and repertory films. During the 1960s, the Empress changed vocations a few times. In 1962, it was converted into a café-theatre called the Royal Follies, before becoming, in 1968, a two-tiered cinema known as Cinema V and Salle Hermes. In 1975, it kept the name Cinema V and focused primarily on repertory films. Famous Players bought the venue in 1988, turning it into a cinema for feature-length blockbuster films. In 1992, a major fire destroyed the building and forced its closure. The building has been abandoned ever since.

The City of Montreal bought the theatre in 1999 from Standard Life. In 2001, the theatre was returned to the Côte-des-Neiges – Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough. Several projects to repurpose and enhance the building have been presented over the years, to no avail.

The Empress Theatre, also known as Cinema V, is the only Egyptian Revival style theatre in Canada. Designed by architect Alcide Chaussé, the building’s architecture was inspired by Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb in November 1922. The interior was designed by theatre decorator Emmanuel Briffa, who also designed the Rialto, Théâtre Outremont and Snowdon Cinema.

In March 2020, the mayor of the Côte-des-Neiges – Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough announced that the Empress Theatre will be saved in part. The Société d’habitation et de development de Montréal has been allocated $250,000 so that it can conduct architectural and engineering studies. The reconstruction should include a multipurpose room, several affordable housing units and a commercial component for artistic expression. The borough also hopes to involve citizens so that they can express their needs and expectations with respect to this new cultural site.

In November 2024, it was announced that the City of Montréal intended to sell the building.

However, in 2025, a borough councillor announced that the City had mandated the Société d’habitation et de développement de Montréal to reassess the site’s potential for redevelopment into non-market housing, with the aim of addressing the housing crisis.

In early 2026, the new administration of the Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce arrondissement once again revives hopes of seeing a meaningful project emerge for this building.

Héritage Montréal is very attached to the Empress Theater, which is a formidable witness to the history of cinemas in Montreal. A subject that Héritage Montréal dealt with in a post entitled on our blog.

Héritage Montréal closely followed the consultations regarding the redevelopment of the theater and pressed for the preservation and enhancement of the architectural elements that could be saved, as quickly as possible.

In November 2024, after several years without any updates on this matter for which the City had sought our collaboration, learning through the media that it now plans to sell it is both disappointing and concerning.

The 2026 announcement to move forward with an initial phase of intervention at the Empress Theatre marks a turning point for this neo-Egyptian landmark, which has been abandoned for over three decades. Owned by the Ville de Montréal since 1999, the former cinema, inaugurated in 1927 and designed by architect Alcide Chaussé, still stands out today for its façade inspired by the fascination sparked by the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. The interior décor by Emmanuel Briffa, however, has been significantly altered over time, particularly with the subdivision of the original large auditorium.

The proposed project aims to restore the site’s cultural vocation and, as an initial step, to create a temporary outdoor cultural space. The deconstruction of the roof and interior walls would be accompanied by the stabilization and integration of the neo-Egyptian façade. After many years of deterioration, studies, calls for proposals, and unfulfilled promises, the intention to reopen access to the site and reintroduce cultural activity represents a concrete step that deserves recognition.

The loss of the original interior volume nonetheless raises significant concerns regarding the integrity and authenticity of this rare witness to Montreal’s grand cinema history. This intervention, akin to façadism, will need to be closely monitored by the Ville de Montréal’s heritage professionals and advisory bodies. It will be essential to carefully document the work, preserve any remaining architectural elements, and avoid any accidental or negligent demolition.

Beyond this initial step, public expectations remain high. The promised revitalization must quickly translate into a feasible cultural redevelopment project capable of restoring the Empress to a meaningful place in Montreal’s cultural life, while adhering to best practices in heritage conservation.