Odeon Cinema, Weston-super-Mare
Encyclopedia
The Odeon Cinema, Weston-super-Mare in Somerset
is an art deco
cinema building, designed by Thomas Cecil Howitt
. Still largely intact and retaining its originally installed Compton organ, it is a Grade II listed building.
's city engineer's department, Howitt joined private archietctural practise, where he was asked by Odeon Cinemas
to design four new buildings for them, in Clacton, Bridgwater
, Warley
and Weston-super-Mare
. All of the designs based around a common theme, incorporating: a square tower; squat main building; projecting slab roof, supported by columns. Only the Weston building survives, with Clacton and Warley demolished, and Bridgwater now retaining a pitched roof addition.
-style metal framed windows, while the Walliscote Road elevation comprises five bays. There was an additional canopy along both elevations, but these were later removed.
The facade
of the building is covered in biscuit-coloured faience
, except the shop areas on both wings which are clad in black glass Vitrolite
panels. The basket-weave pattern faience encompasses three horizontal bands of green faience. At night neon lighting placed in line with the green faience, around the 'Odeon' and and along the edge of the canopies provided an a-typical Art Deco attractive feel to the building. The original Odeon lettering has been replaced, despite this occurring after the building was listed.
, London
. The six ranks of pipes are: Tuba; Tibia Clausa; Vox Humana; Oboe; Flute; Cello. Although the organ does not have the common Compton feature of a Melotone, it does have a rare Solo Cello stop which involves a mechanical bow and pitching fingers, operated directly from the organ console. The organ today is preserved under the care of the West of England Theatre Organ Society, and occasional organ concerts continue to be held at the venue.
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
is an art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
cinema building, designed by Thomas Cecil Howitt
Thomas Cecil Howitt
Thomas Cecil Howitt, OBE an eminent British provincial architect of the 20th Century, was born on 6 June 1889, at Hucknall, near Nottingham....
. Still largely intact and retaining its originally installed Compton organ, it is a Grade II listed building.
Background
After working in NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
's city engineer's department, Howitt joined private archietctural practise, where he was asked by Odeon Cinemas
Odeon Cinemas
Odeon Cinemas is a British chain of cinemas, one of the largest in Europe. It is owned by Odeon & UCI Cinemas Group whose ultimate parent is Terra Firma Capital Partners.-History:Odeon Cinemas was created in 1928 by Oscar Deutsch...
to design four new buildings for them, in Clacton, Bridgwater
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It is the administrative centre of the Sedgemoor district, and a major industrial centre. Bridgwater is located on the major communication routes through South West England...
, Warley
Warley, West Midlands
Warley is a place in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands of the United Kingdom.A civil parish of Warley was created in 1884 by the merger of the Warley Salop parish with parts of the parishes of Warley Wigorn, Ridgacre and Oldbury.In 1908 the parish was abolished, becoming...
and Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare
Weston-super-Mare is a seaside resort, town and civil parish in the unitary authority of North Somerset, which is within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located on the Bristol Channel coast, south west of Bristol, spanning the coast between the bounding high ground of Worlebury...
. All of the designs based around a common theme, incorporating: a square tower; squat main building; projecting slab roof, supported by columns. Only the Weston building survives, with Clacton and Warley demolished, and Bridgwater now retaining a pitched roof addition.
Exterior
In Weston, the tower is positioned at the corner of the site, above and behind the foyer. A curved canopy projects outwards from the slab tower, while the foyer is accessed from the street via four circular steps leading to five sets of double doors. Howitt used a second smaller tower to the left of the slab tower (when looking towards the building from Regent Street), with a large double-height metal framed window. There are two three storey high wings which enclosed the original single auditorium, allowing commercial revenue from shop units at street level and offices above. The Regent Street elevation comprises three bays with CrittallCrittall Windows Ltd
Crittall Windows Ltd is a notable English manufacturer of steel-framed windows, today based in Witham, Essex, close to its historic roots in the county...
-style metal framed windows, while the Walliscote Road elevation comprises five bays. There was an additional canopy along both elevations, but these were later removed.
The facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the building is covered in biscuit-coloured faience
Faience
Faience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...
, except the shop areas on both wings which are clad in black glass Vitrolite
Vitrolite
Vitrolite was an opaque pigmented glass manufactured by Pilkington Brothers in the United Kingdom and The Vitrolite Company then Libbey Owens Ford in the United States...
panels. The basket-weave pattern faience encompasses three horizontal bands of green faience. At night neon lighting placed in line with the green faience, around the 'Odeon' and and along the edge of the canopies provided an a-typical Art Deco attractive feel to the building. The original Odeon lettering has been replaced, despite this occurring after the building was listed.
Interior
The original split-level auditorium was split into three smaller units in 1973, with a fourth screen added in 1991. Many of the original art deco features however survive, including the Compton organ.Compton organ
Installed during the original fitting out fo the building in 1935, the 3manual/6rank instrument is the only Compton theatre pipe organ in an Odeon cinema outside London, and one of only two working theatre organs left in the country still performing in their original location in commercially operating cinemas, the other being in the Odeon Leicester SquareOdeon Leicester Square
The Odeon Leicester Square is a cinema which occupies the centre of the eastern side of Leicester Square, London, dominating the square with its huge black polished granite facade and high tower displaying its name. Blue neon outlines the exterior of the building at night. It was built to be the...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The six ranks of pipes are: Tuba; Tibia Clausa; Vox Humana; Oboe; Flute; Cello. Although the organ does not have the common Compton feature of a Melotone, it does have a rare Solo Cello stop which involves a mechanical bow and pitching fingers, operated directly from the organ console. The organ today is preserved under the care of the West of England Theatre Organ Society, and occasional organ concerts continue to be held at the venue.