martinC: Odeon have stated that a new “large format” screen will be installed, and that the organ will be retained. The planning applications for the updated facade/signage show a rendering with a large Dolby “Double-D logo” sign, implying that there will be a Dolby Cinema installation (i.e. Dolby Vision/HDR laser projection/specially graded content/Dolby Atmos), which would tie in with the “large format” update.
If they are going to install a larger screen, whilst keeping the organ, one option would be to alter the front splay walls to the proscenium, cutting them back, thus allowing for a screen width greater than 60ft., increased from the present 48ft. I posted a more detailed consideration of this, including sightlines.
Were the screen moveable, then the plans suggest that there is enough room horizontally. However, vertically, the old cut-away diagram has the “proscenium girder” marked and the fly tower behind.
Alternatively, the new screen could simply be installed ahead of the existing proscenium.
Hence, what’s possible all depends on the screen size/position and structural aspects, which may involve tradeoffs between what’s “kept” and what remains “usable”!
I can’t see how all aspects could be retained in their existing form, but presumably the front stage with organ console pit will remain.
Zappomatic: LOL… well, it would make for, erm, a unique augmented cinematic experience. ;–)
Screen 5? The only way I can think that would make sense is if 4/5 become ½, 6 becomes 3, IMAX/Screen 3 becomes IMAX/Screen 4—if they show non-IMAX films, then the IMAX isn’t an “IMAX”!— and 7/8/9 become 5/6/7, with the 4DX and Superscreen unnumbered.
(Incidentally, a number of seats are already reserved for the first screening listed at 19:30!)
I guess then literally all that will have happened is strip out/fit out of the foyer/public access areas. I had an odd dream last night in which I removed a piece of the old marble wall cladding from a skip outside…!
Zappomatic: Thanks for your views on the Superscreen sound system—I’m not too surprised, but it’s disappointing nevertheless. I may as well continue with LSQ as my venue of choice—albeit I’ve not been to the O2 since it was the “Millennium Dome,” so I suppose a revisit would be more than timely!
Regarding LEDs, as a broader comment, the market is a minefield; it is often difficult to identify product quality, including the manufacturer of the LED components used, and plenty of Chinese product is being resold or supplied at very high markups.
For instance, the Vue West End’s canopy underside light strips seem to be two or more rows of LED strips mounted in extrusions, with “opal”-type diffusers/covers. I know this because one of the extrusions only appears to have one working strip!
I have no idea which products were used, and it may be that they have been sourced and installed with the utmost care, but failure seems ridiculous given the £6.6m cost of the refurb; they should last more than a few thousand hours…!
Alas, it’s not uncommon to see LED installations with early failures or dim sections…
It will be interesting to see how Cineworld’s new decorative lighting in their O2 venue’s corridors holds up.
P.S. Just wait for the impact of the sugar tax on “soda” drink sizes… :–(
Westminster Building Control application no. 17/00439/OTHFP has had its status updated to “Building Work Started,” with the 15th January 2018 as the commencement date.
I cannot locate any new licensing application on Westminster’s site, which I assume will be required for the 4DX screen. I suspect the cinema will not be reopening by “early February”!
Incidentally—or perhaps not coincidentally—the hoarding on Leicester Street for the 1-4 Leicester Square works (hotel, etc.) has now been removed.
I took a number of external shots of the OLS last night—most of them turned out badly, not least due to the heavy pedestrian traffic in the square!
The large LED displays on the frontage are off, but the blue LED accents remain on, albeit in a dire state pending replacement.
The entire frontage is surrounded by a hoarding featuring artwork and notices such as “Something very special is coming soon…” and “We’re working had so you can put your feet up…”
The main contractor appears to be 8 Build.
Lights remain on in the circle foyer, and its current state is externally visible. As can be seen in the photo I have uploaded, the ceiling has been partially removed.
I had a look at the current external state of the Empire Leicester Square last night—no changes to the main entrance, but the poster boxes are now empty. The high level IMAX sign remains lit, as does the colour LED display on the left side of the canopy. (Although some sections were flickering!)
Other than the notice on the Leicester Square doors, the only sign of any building work is a “Construction Site” notice on the Leicester Street fire exit doors—photo uploaded.
A couple of repairs seem to have been completed to the Leicester Place elevation, photo to follow.
Zappomatic: The ground floor foyer will be “connected” to the Studios, and frontage alterations will encompass the Studios part of the building also, including new doors, removal of the “Odeon Studios” sign, etc.
See planning application 17/07604/FULL, “Elevations Proposed” and “Plans as Proposed.”
Thanks for confirming the sidewall speaker brand. At least Cineworld have had quality components installed for the surrounds, I’d assume they’ve kept the JBL ScreenArray screen speakers, so if all is well the sound in the Superscreen should be absolutely fantastic.
Seems odd they’ve chosen what look like cold white strips for the entrance vormitory lights, would be more sensible to use red for “guideway” lighting. Aside from the leakage/reflection issue, it won’t set the right mood as one enters. Ho-hum.
Zappomatic: The “hula hoops” look incredibly tacky and badly positioned!
It looks like the “hula hoops” are surface mounted. I expect they have either used a bendable extrusion with LED strips/modules inserted, or the bendable “neon tube”-type which comes with the LEDs already inside flexible plastic diffuser material of circular cross-section.
Not impressed with the upper floor escalator as shown in your photo, not least since the translucent panel attachments are unevenly lit.
Lighting is by way of red and blue spotlights in the ceiling which interesting seem to use a coloured filter glass rather than a coloured or colour changing LED.
If they are using white LEDs, it makes no sense as LEDs are monochromatic and typical “white” devices use, for example, blue LEDs to excite phosphors… throwing away efficiency at that stage, and then throwing it away again with the filter!
Not to say no-one does it… yesterday I noticed a restaurant next to the Garrick Theatre had neon-esque window signs, which on inspection were white LEDs behind coloured plastic cut-outs. (It actually looks great though, I shall have to experiment…)
Hmm… must put a stop to my lighting obsession!
Some elements of the refurbishment look good—I like the “glitter” floor tiles.
Do you know the manufacturer of the sidewall speakers in the Superscreen?
I’ve uploaded a photo (taken last night) of the blacked out front entrance doors, with the notice reading:
“EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING — YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE WHAT’S COMING
“Whilst we work on improving your cinema, you can visit Picturehouse Central to watch the latest movies.”
I walked around the entire block (i.e. Leicester Sq., Leicester Street, Lisle Street and Leicester Place)—no signs of the refurb (yet?) externally.
There is a hoarding on Leicester Street which has been there for quite some time, but I assume this is for the redevelopment of 1-4 Leicester Square (Ground floor to 9th floor) only. All the more puzzling since Screen 2 has been closed for months!
Does anybody know what music is used in the “montage” sequence at the start, and in edited form, in the ABC policy trailer after? Fantastic stuff, excellent composition and arrangement, perfect to set the mood…
Terry: I agree with you in that the LUXE auditorium decor scheme is very unimaginative and I’d also say that it has too much of a “domestic” ambience for a cinema. I suppose their intention is for it to look more like a living room!
BTW, comprehensive information is available on Gradus' cinema (or rather leisure venue) lighting systems.
Also, Eomac are their North American distributors.
Alas, whilst they offer a wide range of mounting options, static colour choices are red/green/blue/amber/white.
FanaticalAboutOdeon: Most interesting!
As an aside, half of the high level Carlsberg sign on top of the adjacent building facade was there for a very long time after it had been out of use.
Zappomatic: Brilliant, thank you again. My order is completed. Good job I have a Bissell wet vaccum with anti-bacterial cleaner!
Zappomatic: Your photo of the corridor to Screens 1-5 looks good; I especially like the cyan coloured decorative lighting.
What are “shiny plastic strips”?
On the subject of the Vue West End, I’ll respond in detail (“oh no?!”) later on its CT page.
martinC: Odeon have stated that a new “large format” screen will be installed, and that the organ will be retained. The planning applications for the updated facade/signage show a rendering with a large Dolby “Double-D logo” sign, implying that there will be a Dolby Cinema installation (i.e. Dolby Vision/HDR laser projection/specially graded content/Dolby Atmos), which would tie in with the “large format” update.
If they are going to install a larger screen, whilst keeping the organ, one option would be to alter the front splay walls to the proscenium, cutting them back, thus allowing for a screen width greater than 60ft., increased from the present 48ft. I posted a more detailed consideration of this, including sightlines.
Were the screen moveable, then the plans suggest that there is enough room horizontally. However, vertically, the old cut-away diagram has the “proscenium girder” marked and the fly tower behind.
Alternatively, the new screen could simply be installed ahead of the existing proscenium.
Hence, what’s possible all depends on the screen size/position and structural aspects, which may involve tradeoffs between what’s “kept” and what remains “usable”!
I can’t see how all aspects could be retained in their existing form, but presumably the front stage with organ console pit will remain.
Zappomatic: Thanks! Can’t find them. Link please?
Zappomatic: LOL… well, it would make for, erm, a unique augmented cinematic experience. ;–)
Screen 5? The only way I can think that would make sense is if 4/5 become ½, 6 becomes 3, IMAX/Screen 3 becomes IMAX/Screen 4—if they show non-IMAX films, then the IMAX isn’t an “IMAX”!— and 7/8/9 become 5/6/7, with the 4DX and Superscreen unnumbered.
Correction: Not LED strips, but LED-lit side glow fibre optic rods.
Another “Fifty Shades” film? Good grief…
(Incidentally, a number of seats are already reserved for the first screening listed at 19:30!)
I guess then literally all that will have happened is strip out/fit out of the foyer/public access areas. I had an odd dream last night in which I removed a piece of the old marble wall cladding from a skip outside…!
Zappomatic: Thanks for your views on the Superscreen sound system—I’m not too surprised, but it’s disappointing nevertheless. I may as well continue with LSQ as my venue of choice—albeit I’ve not been to the O2 since it was the “Millennium Dome,” so I suppose a revisit would be more than timely!
Regarding LEDs, as a broader comment, the market is a minefield; it is often difficult to identify product quality, including the manufacturer of the LED components used, and plenty of Chinese product is being resold or supplied at very high markups.
For instance, the Vue West End’s canopy underside light strips seem to be two or more rows of LED strips mounted in extrusions, with “opal”-type diffusers/covers. I know this because one of the extrusions only appears to have one working strip!
I have no idea which products were used, and it may be that they have been sourced and installed with the utmost care, but failure seems ridiculous given the £6.6m cost of the refurb; they should last more than a few thousand hours…!
Alas, it’s not uncommon to see LED installations with early failures or dim sections…
It will be interesting to see how Cineworld’s new decorative lighting in their O2 venue’s corridors holds up.
P.S. Just wait for the impact of the sugar tax on “soda” drink sizes… :–(
Westminster Building Control application no. 17/00439/OTHFP has had its status updated to “Building Work Started,” with the 15th January 2018 as the commencement date.
I cannot locate any new licensing application on Westminster’s site, which I assume will be required for the 4DX screen. I suspect the cinema will not be reopening by “early February”!
Incidentally—or perhaps not coincidentally—the hoarding on Leicester Street for the 1-4 Leicester Square works (hotel, etc.) has now been removed.
I took a number of external shots of the OLS last night—most of them turned out badly, not least due to the heavy pedestrian traffic in the square!
The large LED displays on the frontage are off, but the blue LED accents remain on, albeit in a dire state pending replacement.
The entire frontage is surrounded by a hoarding featuring artwork and notices such as “Something very special is coming soon…” and “We’re working had so you can put your feet up…”
The main contractor appears to be 8 Build.
Lights remain on in the circle foyer, and its current state is externally visible. As can be seen in the photo I have uploaded, the ceiling has been partially removed.
Oops… I meant to say January 2018.
I had a look at the current external state of the Empire Leicester Square last night—no changes to the main entrance, but the poster boxes are now empty. The high level IMAX sign remains lit, as does the colour LED display on the left side of the canopy. (Although some sections were flickering!)
Other than the notice on the Leicester Square doors, the only sign of any building work is a “Construction Site” notice on the Leicester Street fire exit doors—photo uploaded.
A couple of repairs seem to have been completed to the Leicester Place elevation, photo to follow.
FanaticalAboutOdeon: Thank you very much for your detailed descriptions of the OLS foyer pre-1998. My reply is still pending!
Zappomatic: The ground floor foyer will be “connected” to the Studios, and frontage alterations will encompass the Studios part of the building also, including new doors, removal of the “Odeon Studios” sign, etc.
See planning application 17/07604/FULL, “Elevations Proposed” and “Plans as Proposed.”
Thanks for confirming the sidewall speaker brand. At least Cineworld have had quality components installed for the surrounds, I’d assume they’ve kept the JBL ScreenArray screen speakers, so if all is well the sound in the Superscreen should be absolutely fantastic.
Seems odd they’ve chosen what look like cold white strips for the entrance vormitory lights, would be more sensible to use red for “guideway” lighting. Aside from the leakage/reflection issue, it won’t set the right mood as one enters. Ho-hum.
Zappomatic: The “hula hoops” look incredibly tacky and badly positioned!
It looks like the “hula hoops” are surface mounted. I expect they have either used a bendable extrusion with LED strips/modules inserted, or the bendable “neon tube”-type which comes with the LEDs already inside flexible plastic diffuser material of circular cross-section.
Not impressed with the upper floor escalator as shown in your photo, not least since the translucent panel attachments are unevenly lit.
If they are using white LEDs, it makes no sense as LEDs are monochromatic and typical “white” devices use, for example, blue LEDs to excite phosphors… throwing away efficiency at that stage, and then throwing it away again with the filter!
Not to say no-one does it… yesterday I noticed a restaurant next to the Garrick Theatre had neon-esque window signs, which on inspection were white LEDs behind coloured plastic cut-outs. (It actually looks great though, I shall have to experiment…)
Hmm… must put a stop to my lighting obsession!
Some elements of the refurbishment look good—I like the “glitter” floor tiles.
Do you know the manufacturer of the sidewall speakers in the Superscreen?
D'oh! I’m running a tracker blocker plug-in, I guess that’s what’s blocked it as I see the banner in another browser.
How long have Screens 4/5 been blocked?
Yes, those “DFS”-grade sofas were always awful—good riddance!
Ian: I, too, was in Leicester Square last night and “noticed” the premiere—(poor quality) photo uploaded.
According to Odeon’s site, it is now closed.
This means that there is NO cinema with a Leicester Square address operating at present—I assume for the first time since WWII?!
Zappomatic: Blocked with sofas? Maybe they’ll be refurbishing Screen 4/5 concurrently?
Thanks for uploading the photos of the foyer’s last night of service—I haven’t been there in months now as no desire to keep saying “goodbye” again!
Oddly, Cineworld’s site makes no mention of the closure—just has no trailer nor screening times listed!
Bye-bye 1962/89 foyer. :–(
I’ve uploaded a photo (taken last night) of the blacked out front entrance doors, with the notice reading:
“EXCITING THINGS ARE HAPPENING — YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE WHAT’S COMING
“Whilst we work on improving your cinema, you can visit Picturehouse Central to watch the latest movies.”
I walked around the entire block (i.e. Leicester Sq., Leicester Street, Lisle Street and Leicester Place)—no signs of the refurb (yet?) externally.
There is a hoarding on Leicester Street which has been there for quite some time, but I assume this is for the redevelopment of 1-4 Leicester Square (Ground floor to 9th floor) only. All the more puzzling since Screen 2 has been closed for months!
Awesome, thank you very much!
Can’t find any CD copies, but it’s available in HQ via digital download/streaming including Spotify.
Video of the final screening.
Does anybody know what music is used in the “montage” sequence at the start, and in edited form, in the ABC policy trailer after? Fantastic stuff, excellent composition and arrangement, perfect to set the mood…
Planning application no. 7-2017-1685-L was refused by Bournemouth Council.
Terry: I agree with you in that the LUXE auditorium decor scheme is very unimaginative and I’d also say that it has too much of a “domestic” ambience for a cinema. I suppose their intention is for it to look more like a living room!
BTW, comprehensive information is available on Gradus' cinema (or rather leisure venue) lighting systems.
Also, Eomac are their North American distributors.
Alas, whilst they offer a wide range of mounting options, static colour choices are red/green/blue/amber/white.