Capitol Theatre is a historic performance venue at 17 Stamford Road in Singapore's Civic District, built for the Persian businessman M.A. Namazie and opened in 1930. Designed by the British architects Keys & Dowdeswell with seating, lighting and a plan modelled on New York's Roxy Theatre, it was long counted among the region's finest picture palaces; Shaw Organisation bought it in 1946 and ran it as its flagship cinema, and during the Japanese Occupation it was renamed Kyo-Ei Gekijo. It screened its last film in 1998, was conserved, and reopened on 19 May 2015 as part of the Capitol Singapore development. The refurbished auditorium seats 977, down from about 1,700 in its cinema days, and restored features include the zodiac mosaic on the domed ceiling and the Pegasus reliefs flanking the stage. It now hosts concerts, musicals, gala dinners and corporate events.