Source: Google
Spring:
Source: Shutterstock
As cinema closures multiply across the UK, heritage experts are concerned about the growing number of 20th century cinema buildings left empty or facing redevelopment.
The summer of 2024 brought bad news for moviegoers. Earlier this month, news broke that Cineworld would close 25% of its UK cinemas, days after a series of closures announced through its subsidiary Picturehouse.
But heritage experts warn that big-screen videos aren’t the only ones that could suffer closures; An increasing number of empty 20th-century cinemas are facing a disturbing and doubtful future. Buildings rarely take advantage of legal heritage protection due to the incredibly high bar to be listed, and there are obvious disruptions to their adaptive reuse.
Bromley Picturehouse, located in an unlisted Art Deco “gem” in Bromley, south London, is among three 20th-century cinemas to cease operations this summer; They will only reopen after a primary renovation in 2019.
The architectural heritage crusading organisation, the Twentieth Century Society, fears it will survive. He says that cinemas like Bromley were built at such a prolific time for the typology (between the 1920s and 1960s) that “the bar for a national directory [was] incredibly high”.
The former Odeon was designed by prolific film architect George Coles in 1936 and underwent a £4. 5 million refurbishment in 2019.
But in June, Picturehouse announced the closure of the branch, along with two others in Fulham Road and Stratford East, due to “rising operating prices and falling admissions”.
The Twentieth Century Society has warned that the three cinema buildings not included in the list could be at risk of being redeveloped once closed, explaining: “Cinemas also do not lend themselves easily to adaptive reuse: concert halls, theatres and bingo halls are the most common uses. Therefore, the characteristics are to preserve them as a cinema with additional advertising functions, or to preserve the façade and remodel the rest of the site.
The Fulham Road Picturehouse is recently being assessed by Historic England for a Listing Immunity Certificate. If the building is not listed, the company says a redevelopment task preserving part of its façade but its auditorium is “entirely likely. “
On Tuesday, July 9, actor Hugh Grant described as “unbearable” the closure of the cinema after years.
– Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) July 9, 2024
But Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF) Architects, who designed the soon-to-close Stratford East Picturehouse in the mid-1990s, insists that the uses chosen for 20th-century cinemas are imaginable through “creative design. “
Its founding partner, John Burrell, told the AJ that his company is converting the former Scala cinema in downtown Worcester (first opened in 1922) into a multi-use arts venue, adding 3 multi-use spaces for entertainment, comedy , music, movies and dancing. and virtual experiences.
And he noted that many downtown cinemas “continue to thrive” by offering network-centric facilities, adding cafes, bars, cultural spaces, and spaces for network teams to meet, “in addition to attending film screenings. “
He said: “Many councils recognize that cinemas can play a role in maintaining an active high street following the relief of classic retail space. »
He added: “We hope that a suitable future can be discovered which will allow Stratford Picturehouse to continue to be at the center of the borough’s cultural life. »
BFF describes Stratford East Picturehouse as one of the “pioneers of the revival of late 20th-century English film architecture”, while the Twentieth Century Society calls it “an attractive example of an independent 20th-century cinema”. that is, not a multiplex in a giant swamp or somewhere outside the city.
Instead of being listed, the heritage organization will also create networks of councils or organizations to intervene and save 20th-century cinemas.
He hopes Bromley Council, or a rival organization or cinema chain, will buy the Bromley Picturehouse site and secure a long-term option for the Art Deco building.
A company spokesperson added: “In the case of Bromley Picturehouse, it has been used continuously as a cinema since 1936 and underwent a £4. 5 million refurbishment in 2019.
“Given that this is such a remarkable local landmark in a vital location in the city centre and a construction that is very compatible with its purpose, we hope that a new operator can be discovered or a network consortium can be formed, which will make the task a success. . company. ‘
Although the company is aware of any plans to redevelop the site, nearly 4,000 people have signed a petition to save Bromley Picturehouse. The organizer describes the construction as a “local gem. “
Bromley Town Hall has been contacted for comment.
Comment and share
The Capital Developer
The company AJ100 Stride Treglown has reported its largest source of payment income in. . .
Arup, Grimshaw and Studio have been appointed to paint at the. . .
The AJ searched the beach for a treasure trove of unpublished documents. . .