Odeon West End

Here’s the latest news:

Plans to build a 240-bedroom hotel above a cinema in London’s Leicester Square have been given the go-ahead by Westminster City Council.

Leicester Square Co-ownership Group’s bid to build the four or five star hotel above a new state-of-the-art Odeon cinema are part of plans to regenerate the south west corner of the London square.

Four cafe/restaurants and a rooftop restaurant are also included in the plans, drawn up by architects, Make, who designed The Cube in Birmingham.

Work on the new mirror-fronted building, currently on the site of the Odeon West End cinema, will start next summer.

A spokesperson for the Leicester Square Co-ownership Group said: “This will be a major focal point for Leicester Square â€" bringing new life into a neglected corner of one the London’s landmark destinations and drawing people down to the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square.

“The plans centre on a new high quality 4 star or 5star hotel, with a state of the art facility for Odeon, as well as restaurants and cafÈs where people can enjoy the surrounding open space. We also expect the rooftop restaurant, with its prime West End location and spectacular views over London, to be especially popular with residents and visitors and we are looking to start discussions with an operator shortly.”

Basically everyone is talking in the West End that the Odeon West End/ Leicester Square Theatre is coming down very soon.

No the “new” Leicester Square Theatre is the former Venue under the church (Notre Dame) just off the square in Leicester Place (next to Prince Charles Cinema. It is to be run by the same people who have the Arts Theatre.

In the last few weeks I’ve heard a lot of comments regarding the closing of this historic building.
When the news that ‘The Venue Theatre’ has been renovated and is to reopen immediately as ‘The Leicester Square Theatre’. This prompts all I speak to, to make the statement that that is OK as the older, bigger one is soon to be demolished anyway'‘. As if a 250 seater former 1940s dance hall fringe venue is to replace the movie palace on the opposite corner of the Square.
I know that redevelopment was mentioned a number of years ago for the Odeon West End side I was under the impression that that had now been abandoned. Any news otherwise????

feb 2008 night time exterior shot as The Bank Job premiere comes out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/2311160086/

Historic details photographs and memorabilia of the Leicester Square Theatre here:
View link

Sorry the pic above is the dressing room block, now used as Odeon offices.

After the 1968 conversion the walls at the front near the screen were sloped inwards, possibly due to the auditorium being extended into the former stage area. The slope did give an unsusual effect when watching films from certain seats. Since the conversion into two screens this effect has been lost.

My photo from April of this year:

View link

This website indicates the movie theater appears to be doomed.
http://users.aber.ac.uk/jwp/cinemas/cinlondon.html

It says the following:

Odeon West End Leicester Square WC2H 7LP Odeon Web Site Seats: 1:500 2:832 [Sold February 2006 for redevelopment; cinema use to continue while plans agreed]

I worked there in 1975 when Tommy was on.
It will be a shame if it is demolished, but it does badly need refurbishing, especially the exterior.
Steve

Another recent exterior shot here:–

View link

when is this scheduled to be closed? it still has a nice although modern atmosphere.

This opened on 19th December 1930 as the Leicester Square Theatre, originally conceived as a live theatre for actor Jack Buchanan. However, it opened with combined movie and stage show presentations and was leased out to various companies in its early years. Original seating capacity was 1,760 in stalls, circle and balcony. In 1968 this original highly decorated interior was totally gutted to be replaced by a bland 1,407 seat auditorium wich remained until its recent twinning.