South Coast Theater
The South Coast Theater in Laguna Beach first opened in 1935 as the New Lynn Theater. Closing in 2015, for most of those 80 years, it was the only movie house in the city. The Mediterranean Revival style theater, designed by James Neil Conway, was the result of a major renovation of the existing 1922 Lynn Theater designed by Walter J. Saunders which, itself, replaced a former venue of the same name. It became the South Coast Theater in 1937, operated by Roy E. and Ronald Vincent. In 2021, Rivian purchased the theater to create not only a showroom, but a public space offering community events and film screenings. RDC of Long Beach served as architect of record, working with Rivian to restore and re-enforce the historic beachside building. The South Coast Theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the New Lynn Theater.
Laguna Beach, Orange County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt
