Plaza Cinema

Located in the up-market district of Barnes, besides the River Thames in South-West London. The Byfield Hall opened in 1906 and gained a Cinematograph Licence in 1910, opening as a cinema around the 16th June 1910. It was sometimes advertised as the Barnes Cinema & Variety Theatre.

It has had several operators and name changes over the years; Barnes Theatre in 1925 and 1926 when it was in use as a live theatre. Empty until it was re-opened as a cinema on 6th January 1930, re-named Ranleigh Cinema. It became the Barnes Super Cinema in the mid-1930’s and in 1943, it was re-named Plaza Cinema.

The Plaza Cinema was damage by a fire in 1951. It was purchased by new owners and refurbished, re-opening as the New Vandyke Cinema on 22nd September 1952. But this was short lived and the cinema was closed for good in March 1953, with the films “Four Days Leave” and “Bicycle Theives”.

The building was converted into a film studio. Since 1966, it operated as the Olympic Studio, a recording studio. Many artists have recorded here, including; Rolling Stones, Queen, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Massive Attack, Duran Duran, Coldplay, Madonna, Mike Barnes, Robert Warren and Will Young. The Olympic Studio was closed in early-2009.

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