In 2011, The Glasgow Film Theatre embarked on its phased journey to deliver a masterplan vision for a significant refurbishment to the much loved category b-listed building and former 1930’s James McKissack’s cinema building.
Key to the first phase alteration works, complete in late 2013, was the introduction of a new entrance box office facility and a careful insertion of a new sixty seat digital auditorium space – Cinema 3.
This phase, what we call the completion project, focuses on the full refurbishment and alteration to both the public and private areas throughout the cinema building. The refurbishment proposes a suite of new contemporary, but sub consciously familiar, interiors detailed and enriched by a carefully selected material palate.
Spatially the project focuses around the creation a new foyer or ‘new room in the city’ that generates a distinctive operational space to organise and direct film goers around the building but equally offering a flexible space out with the auditoriums for users to meet, to gather and to relax.
The most formal element to the works is the formation of a new stairway leading up to the larger and main cinema 1 screen. As a central piece of drama or ‘theatre’ to the project, the proposal re-introduces and reinterprets the cinema’s original 1930’s butterfly staircase.
The essence of the project cues to tackle ‘Access for All’ improving accessibility, circulation and way-finding throughout the building. The key elements to the refurbishment project, alongside the creation new bar areas, seating areas and new toilets will importantly introduce a new accessible public platform lift providing access to all the upper levels.
The top level, the more private area, focuses around new front of house office space and staff areas but moreover offers a new facility of a fit-for-purpose education ‘project room’ equipped fully for screenings, gaming, commercial hire and specifically housing further education film training and academic outreach programmes.
