| Odeon Cinema, Manchester | |
|---|---|
 Odeon Cinema in 2009 | |
  Location within Greater Manchester | |
| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Cinema |
| Location | Oxford Street,Manchester, England |
| Coordinates | 53°28′37.34″N2°14′33.72″W / 53.4770389°N 2.2427000°W /53.4770389; -2.2427000 |
| Opening | October 1930 |
| Closed | September 2004 |
| Demolished | April 2017 |
| Design and construction | |
| Developer | F. Verity and S. Beverley |
TheOdeon Cinema, Manchester (originally known as theParamount Theatre or theParamount Cinema) was a formerOdeon Cinema onOxford Street inManchester, England. It was close toSt Peter's Square, within the Civic Quarter ofManchester city centre. It was demolished in April 2017, and replaced byLandmark, a 14-storey office building, as part of a major transformation of the area.
The location of the theatre was originally developed near the end of the 18th century. By the 1830s it had been fully developed into a mix of commercial and residential properties. By the start of the 20th century, it was used entirely for commercial purposes, including twopubs. It was cleared by 1930 for the construction of the Paramount Theatre.[1]
The Paramount Theatre on Oxford Street opened on 6 October 1930,[2] showingThe Love Parade, and featuring avariety show on stage.[3] The theatre was built for theParamount Film Company of America, and was designed byFrank Verity and S. Beverley (now known as Verity & Beverley[3]), who had also built the Plaza Theatre inLondon.[4] It was one of 50 proposed Paramount Theatres,[5] and was one of the first open, and the first in the UK to bear the company's name;[6] others included ParamountLeeds, ParamountNewcastle upon Tyne, ParamountGlasgow, ParamountLiverpool, ParamountBirmingham and ParamountTottenham Court Road, London.[3]
A single-screen cinema,[6] it was capable of seating 2,920 people on two levels (the Stalls and the Balcony), and the building also contained a fully equipped stage, afly tower,dressing rooms, anorchestra pit, an organ[4] and a cafe.[3] The cinema was designed to operate in the cine-variety era; it was mostly used to show films[4] (such as those featuringMaurice Chevalier andJeanette MacDonald[2]) but it also put on live stage shows (including those by Francis A Mangan, which were accompanied by a full orchestra).[7] It was purchased in November 1939 byOscar Deutsch as part ofOdeon Theatres Ltd, and was renamed as theOdeon in 1940.[3] It became aRank cinema in 1941. Itspiano lounge subsequently hostedBruce Forsyth among others.[2]
The building featured a stone-faced façe with four bays, and a full-widthcanopy, both facing Oxford Street. The cinema had three levels, one of which was amezzanine. The foyers and auditorium were decorated in aBaroque style; the building also had a large roundedproscenium and an illustration of the sky on the ceiling.[7]
The theatre was divided in 1973[3] to become a twin screen cinema, at which time the organ was removed. It gained a third screen in 1979, and four more screens were added in 1992 using the basement and stage areas;[4] it opened as a seven-screen cinema on 8 May 1992.[8] The cinema had a private car park with a small number of parking spaces to the rear.[1] In 1992 it hosted the premiere ofA Few Good Men.[2]
The theatre originally had aWurlitzer Publix Onetheatre organ[4] with fourmanuals and 20 ranks of pipes, specified byJesse Crawford. This was the only Publix One to leave the United States. When the theatre was divided, the organ was acquired by the Lancastrian Theatre Organ Trust, loaned to theCity of Manchester and relocated to theFree Trade Hall (a process which took four years); and was first used there in September 1977. When the Free Trade Hall closed, it was subsequently moved toStockport Town Hall's Great Hall.[5]
The cinema closed in September 2004 after 74 years in use,[9] due to competition from theAMC Great Northern.[3] After its closure, it was occasionally used as a church.[9]
In 1999 the building was considered forlisted status as part of a thematic survey of cinemas. It was rejected as too many of the original features had been removed.[1] When the cinema closed in 2004, the orchestra pit, stage, proscenium, ceiling and foyer areas were still partly intact (although hidden), and could have been restored.[4][7] It was thought to be the oldest cinema in Manchester's city centre.[2] Another assessment in February 2007 also rejected the listing.[1]English Heritage explained that this was due to the extensive removal of its original features and the extensive interior damage. It said this damage had been "systematic and methodical", which the owners attributed to "limited and entirely lawful exposure works".[10] It was certified as immune from listing on 25 July 2007 (renewed 28 November 2012).[1] Permission to demolish the building was given in September 2016.[6] The building was subsequently demolished in April 2017.[11]
In 2013 the cinema was scheduled to be replaced with an office building namedLandmark, matching the adjacentOne St Peter's Square.[12] The building was proposed to have 22,575 m2 (243,000 sq ft) of office floor space over 14 storeys, as well as a three-level 116-space basement car park, on a 0.18 hectares (0.44 acres) site.[1] The developers were Hines UK Limited and Manchester & Metropolitan Properties Limited, with designs bySquire and Partners.[12]
Planning permission was originally obtained on 15 February 2007,[1] and was due to be completed in 2009. At the time, the building aimed to hold 2,000 workers, and would cost £45 million.[9] The permission was extended in September 2010[1] and renewed in August 2013, with some amendments to meetBREEAM 'excellent' standards.[12] Construction was planned to start when market conditions were suitable[13] – in particular, when pre-let deals were arranged with the first occupants.[12]
Following the cinema's demolition in April 2017, the replacement building was subsequently constructed in 2018–19.[14]
As of January 2023, occupants within the building includeSantander UK,Allianz,JLL,RSM,HSBC,Grant Thornton, and flexible workspace providerIndustrious.[15]
