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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 be closing 25% of its cinemas in the United Kingdom, days after a series of closures announced through its subsidiary Picturehouse.
But heritage experts warn that big-screen movies aren’t the only potential victims of closures; An increasing number of empty 20th century cinemas face a disturbing and doubtful future. Buildings rarely gain advantage from statutory heritage coverage due to the incredibly high bar to be listed, and there are obvious problems with their adaptive reuse.
Bromley Picturehouse, located in an unlisted Art Deco “gem” in Bromley, south London, is one of three 20th century cinemas to cease operations this summer; They only reopened after a primary renovation in 2019.
The architectural heritage crusade organization, the Twentieth Century Society, fears it will survive. He says that cinemas like Bromley were built in such a prolific era for 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, as well as two others in Fulham Road and Stratford East, due to “rising operating prices and declining tickets”.
The Twentieth Century Society warned that the three unlisted cinema buildings could be at risk of redevelopment once closed, explaining: “Movie theaters also do not lend themselves easily to adaptive reuse: concert halls, theaters and bingo are the most common uses, so the options are to keep them as a cinema with additional advertising functions, or to keep 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 the closure of the cinema after years as “unbearable. ”
— Hugh Grant (@HackedOffHugh) July 9, 2024
But Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF) Architects, which 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. “
Founding spouse John Burrell told the AJ that his company is in the process of converting the former Scala Cinema in downtown Worcester (first opened in 1922) into a multi-use arts venue, adding 3 multi-use spaces for shows, comedy, music and movies. and dance. 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, “as well as 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 found that will allow Stratford Picturehouse to continue to be at the centre 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 20th-century independent cinema. “that is, not a multiplex cinema in a giant swamp or in a place 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 that Bromley Council, or a rival organization or movie chain, will buy the Bromley Picturehouse site and secure a long-term option for the Art Deco building.
A corporate 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 rebuild the site, some 4,000 people have signed a petition to save Bromley Picturehouse. The organizer describes the construction as a “local gem. “
Bromley Council has been contacted for comment.
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