Work on the foyer is coming on apace! I look forward to seeing the finished result but it seems to be taking what was once a rather stale, dated space into something more befitting of its location. Take a look at the photos I’ve uploaded.
The flooring in the box office area has been revealed and it’s a matt, grippy finish tile rather than Cineworld’s signature glossy black sparkly number. A wise decision given how slippery this area could get in the rain! Opposite the box office are two 85 inch UHD displays (a few more of these waiting to be unpacked in the foyer).
The balustrades on the stairs have made a return albeit with their tops missing – I suspect we’ll see this lit underneath.
On the ceiling in certain areas are large backlit panels mimicking the gold squares. Due to their size they seem to be sagging in the middle but I’d imagine this will be rectified at some point. Interestingly the coloured LED lights hidden inside the gold inset squares were not on tonight.
Gradually new signage for screens, toilets etc is going up, and the doors to the IMAX screen have lost their padding – perhaps one of the contractors now has a new headboard! The area under the sloped portion of ceiling looks deeper than before but it’s probably just my eyes playing tricks. It would be nice to see a bar added in here to compete with Vue and Odeon but I wouldn’t be surprised to just see some sofas.
Corridor to the Superscreen has new carpet and signage, with the white ceiling painted dark grey. Wall coverings remain the same. The area in front of the stairs to screens 5-7 retains the same ceiling as before with the lower part painted dark grey and the raised section painted red.
Tonight I saw A Quiet Place, which is an excellent demonstration of what can be done with Dolby Atmos. It also demonstrated the incredible sub bass that screen is capable of, with roars, crashes and fireworks shaking the seats. Also the film was shot in Super 35mm and mastered in 4K so really let the projector shine, although black levels could have been better (the image was reflecting off the port glass onto the back wall of the booth, then casting a glow on the screen which is something I’ve never really noticed before).
CF100: The carpet I spotted is mostly black with large red and grey rings, rather than the standard carpet which has a busier pattern reminiscent of fireworks.
Regarding the Superscreen, flat films fill the screen vertically but not horizontally, and scope films fill the screen horizontally but not vertically. For 2D presentations only one of the projectors is used.
Visited today for Ready Player One. Many of the bare plasterboard walls have been skimmed and painted dark grey, and the concessions counter now has a black glass backsplash rather than the more typical hexagonal tiles favoured in recent Cineworld builds and refurbs.
The gold metal squares on the ceiling are now illuminated, and in the box office area a glossy black stretch ceiling integrates them (I only have a photo of this with its protective plastic sheeting in place, which had been taken down by the time I left the cinema). Looks quite smart although I’m disappointed that the centres are just a backlit panel rather than something more glitzy. The lighting around the edge just seemed to be cycling through the colours as did some of the lighting installed at skirting level, none of it in sync – I wouldn’t be surprised if this is usually set on one colour but configurable for premieres and promotions.
Interestingly there were rolls of carpet stored in the foyer for the screen refurbishments, in the pattern usually used for Cineworld’s VIP screens. Will we see big red recliners? On the one hand it would make sense in order to compete with Odeon and Vue but on the other the smaller screens frequently sell out as they are.
To be refurbished this year. 12 of the 13 screens will be re-stepped to improve viewing angles, with upper level disabled access boxes added. https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/scottishBuildingWarrantDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=P54A5JEWMBJ00
Quite a drastic change to a relatively young multiplex!
Balustrades missing from the stairs, presumably to come back once the flooring is complete
New fronts to the box office and concessions stand, with the plain glossy black replaced by a patterned glass effect that I can best describe as almost like a stripy terrazzo, backlit with coloured LEDs. Cineworld usually use this on the front of their VIP bars as seen here: https://gwcontracting.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/GW-Contracting-Cineworld-Renfrew-12.jpg
The structure of the new ceiling is becoming more apparent
The door to the former screen 4 was open and it appears to have been gutted (other than the screen itself). I could also see into the corridor to screen 5 which still had its leather-effect wall covering.
Former screen 2 is now bookable for Avengers: Infinity War from 26 April. It’s now named 4DX (rather than having a number however I suspect it’s now technically screen 4) and seating is reduced to 136 across 9 rows (8 rows of 16 and the back row of 8).
They do this nationwide every year, a one off screening of the top IMAX films over the past year at £3 per film. But this is the first time Leicester Square has been included – they’ve practically sold out all of the screenings and I’d imagine they’ll make a fortune in popcorn sales!
New concessions counter is now open (photo added). I may be imagining things but it seems to take up less room than the old one and the ice cream counter has swapped ends. It has a glossy black front and black marble effect top. Back wall is a black paint effect with some subtle lighting. It’s all a little more understated than other recent openings and returns which have a backlit counter and hexagonal tiles on the back wall.
Now the area on the other side of the foyer (under the sloped ceiling) is hoarded off.
The exterior and the foyer have had some love ahead of Brief Encounter. The canopy and readograph have been repainted in gold, and there’s new illuminated signage and poster frames below. The foyer now has a parquet floor, has been repainted and given new lighting. Great to see it getting some TLC after years of neglect by UGC and Cineworld.
Another visit today, and more pictures added. The pelmet-like boxing is begging to extend around the foyer including in front of the sloped section, gaps in the ceiling have been covered with a temporary material and the hoarding extended upwards to meet it.
A wire cable trough is being added in some areas – it’s similar looking to what was put in at the O2 before the LED modules appeared but the siting of it makes me think it’s for something else.
In front of the former screen 2 there’s a piece of metal attached to the pelmet, which could be the start of a dropped ceiling.
Saw The Shape of Water in the Superscreen (screen 9) today, and the sound system did the BAFTA winning score justice. Black levels suffered in darker scenes, the visibly filthy port glass probably not helping matters.
Passed by here today and the large LED display is advertising Fifty Shades Freed for just £4.99 (still too much if you ask me!). Underneath in smaller text it says “At Vue Printworks and Vue Lowry” – oops! Actual price at this cinema is £17.49.
Gosh the finish on that ceiling is very bad – certainly wasn’t noticeable before the LED displays were put in. Interesting that you didn’t find the pillar LED strips particularly bright as they seemed almost too bright when I saw them myself – perhaps they’ve reduced the intensity?
Just over a week since the cinema reopened, and a few minor visible changes:
The foyer HVAC system seems to have been reinstalled (it was really cold last Friday) with vents appearing above the temporary concessions stand.
The curved wall has had the top and sides built out to house either a screen or a lightbox, and some of the rest of the ceiling has a sort of boxing on it (see photos) which I’m guessing will house LED wall washers. Presumably they’ll also use this to create a drop ceiling, but can’t really tell.
The door in the hoarding in front of former screens 4 and 5 was open and work was going on inside the entrances to the screens (sorry, didn’t get a photo of that)
According to a friend the LED displays in the foyer are now active and the effect is very striking, and the Supercreen’s hula hoops have been taken down. The endless tinkering here is quite amusing although hardly professional.
It’s definitely new plasterboard and lights under the sloped section. Plasterboard and LED downlights are cheap and when you’re selling stuff you want it to look its best!
Yes, the black marble is next to the old screen 2 entrance. I hadn’t noticed before that the spheres on top of the balustrade are silver rather than brass but now that I’ve seen it it looks a little odd.
Interesting you should say that the walled-off section would be good for concessions, because if you look at older photos this is where they were originally.
easyCinema in Milton Keynes already went for the Passengers style model and that failed. That said, I remember when Cineworld had Haymarket and there was the odd occasion where I went into a screen without anyone checking my ticket…
All of the finishes are very much temporary, for example the rendering on the walls is quite rough and the paint a single, hurried coat.
Sound coming through from the IMAX is more than just low frequency rumbles and rattles, but not enough to make out dialogue. I suspect there’s a lot more to be done with the ceiling and doubt we’ll end up with one big smooth expanse. I can’t imagine that ceiling above the temporary concessions being left white or even with those lights.
I don’t think there’s enough space to provide the full retail offer where the temporary concessions stand is as there just isn’t the height and depth to provide things like ice cream (Cineworld website is listing Baskin Robbins, which isn’t there yet). Perhaps we’ll see something like a McDonald’s/Argos style ordering system to prevent queues snaking across the foyer?
One slightly odd thing I’ve noticed is that where there was previously a disused box office at the top of the stairs as you came in, this is now walled-off and the curved wall brought out to meet it. Seems unusual to take circulation space away but I guess they needed a bigger stockroom.
Work done so far is mostly just stripping-out. All floor finishes in the main foyer have been removed and the floor is covered with plastic, and all wall finishes have been removed bar a little black marble next to the box office. Some walls have recesses with electrical and network outlets, obviously meant to house portrait-oriented screens.
The ceiling has been replaced, bar a large section over what was the kiosk meaning you can see the underside of the risers in the IMAX screen. Current kiosk is a tiny temporary arrangement on the opposite side, which is going to struggle if anything in the IMAX gets a big audience.
On the access to the Superscreen and renumbered screens 5-7 the padded wall panels are gone as is the gold wallpaper on the front of the lift, but the golf finish remains once you get upstairs. The only remnant of Empire branding in the foyer is the IMPACT sign.
Toilets have had a partial refurb, with new floor tiles, sinks and lighting. Work in here also seems incomplete as some of the old lighting arrangement remains and the ceiling is filthy (made only more visible by the fact the floor is a lighter colour and the new lights are brighter). The new sinks and taps are a more conventional design than the old ones which is good as they were prone to creating puddles on the floor.
No changes in the screen I was in and seemingly no maintenance done over the closed period. Side masking inoperative, the fixed masking at top and bottom looking uneven and the focus soft. (At one point during the film there was a thud from someone nearby slamming a door or dropping something heavy which made the image shake!).
At the moment it’s far from finished and just in a state that just about allows them to operate as a cinema, so too early to make a call on the finished result.
Reopens this afternoon. Cineworld have sent this email out to Unlimited members (accompanied by a voucher for free popcorn):
“We are pleased to share that Cineworld Leicester Square is officially open, just in time to catch blockbusters including Fifty Shades Freed and Black Panther.
When catching your movie you’ll notice that Cineworld Leicester Square is going through a refurbishment. We know improvement works are annoying but you’re sure to be amazed by the difference."
I’m visiting after work so will be sure to report back with some photos, but I’m pretty much expecting a mostly finished foyer and not a lot else.
If you click on the time for a screening, there’s a little red summary tab at the top right of the screen which will show you the screen number. If you want to see thsee seating plan just add a ticket to the basket and click through to the next screen.
Work on the foyer is coming on apace! I look forward to seeing the finished result but it seems to be taking what was once a rather stale, dated space into something more befitting of its location. Take a look at the photos I’ve uploaded.
The flooring in the box office area has been revealed and it’s a matt, grippy finish tile rather than Cineworld’s signature glossy black sparkly number. A wise decision given how slippery this area could get in the rain! Opposite the box office are two 85 inch UHD displays (a few more of these waiting to be unpacked in the foyer).
The balustrades on the stairs have made a return albeit with their tops missing – I suspect we’ll see this lit underneath.
On the ceiling in certain areas are large backlit panels mimicking the gold squares. Due to their size they seem to be sagging in the middle but I’d imagine this will be rectified at some point. Interestingly the coloured LED lights hidden inside the gold inset squares were not on tonight.
Gradually new signage for screens, toilets etc is going up, and the doors to the IMAX screen have lost their padding – perhaps one of the contractors now has a new headboard! The area under the sloped portion of ceiling looks deeper than before but it’s probably just my eyes playing tricks. It would be nice to see a bar added in here to compete with Vue and Odeon but I wouldn’t be surprised to just see some sofas.
Corridor to the Superscreen has new carpet and signage, with the white ceiling painted dark grey. Wall coverings remain the same. The area in front of the stairs to screens 5-7 retains the same ceiling as before with the lower part painted dark grey and the raised section painted red.
Tonight I saw A Quiet Place, which is an excellent demonstration of what can be done with Dolby Atmos. It also demonstrated the incredible sub bass that screen is capable of, with roars, crashes and fireworks shaking the seats. Also the film was shot in Super 35mm and mastered in 4K so really let the projector shine, although black levels could have been better (the image was reflecting off the port glass onto the back wall of the booth, then casting a glow on the screen which is something I’ve never really noticed before).
CF100: The carpet I spotted is mostly black with large red and grey rings, rather than the standard carpet which has a busier pattern reminiscent of fireworks.
Regarding the Superscreen, flat films fill the screen vertically but not horizontally, and scope films fill the screen horizontally but not vertically. For 2D presentations only one of the projectors is used.
Visited today for Ready Player One. Many of the bare plasterboard walls have been skimmed and painted dark grey, and the concessions counter now has a black glass backsplash rather than the more typical hexagonal tiles favoured in recent Cineworld builds and refurbs.
The gold metal squares on the ceiling are now illuminated, and in the box office area a glossy black stretch ceiling integrates them (I only have a photo of this with its protective plastic sheeting in place, which had been taken down by the time I left the cinema). Looks quite smart although I’m disappointed that the centres are just a backlit panel rather than something more glitzy. The lighting around the edge just seemed to be cycling through the colours as did some of the lighting installed at skirting level, none of it in sync – I wouldn’t be surprised if this is usually set on one colour but configurable for premieres and promotions.
Interestingly there were rolls of carpet stored in the foyer for the screen refurbishments, in the pattern usually used for Cineworld’s VIP screens. Will we see big red recliners? On the one hand it would make sense in order to compete with Odeon and Vue but on the other the smaller screens frequently sell out as they are.
Now closed, reopening in early 2019 as Picturehouse Bromley.
To be refurbished this year. 12 of the 13 screens will be re-stepped to improve viewing angles, with upper level disabled access boxes added. https://citydev-portal.edinburgh.gov.uk/idoxpa-web/scottishBuildingWarrantDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=P54A5JEWMBJ00
Quite a drastic change to a relatively young multiplex!
Old > New
1 (Impact) > Superscreen/9
2 > 4DX/4
3 (IMAX) > IMAX/8
4 > TBC
5 > TBC
6 > 3
7 > 5
8 > 6
9 > 7
Another visit today and a few noticeable changes:
Balustrades missing from the stairs, presumably to come back once the flooring is complete
New fronts to the box office and concessions stand, with the plain glossy black replaced by a patterned glass effect that I can best describe as almost like a stripy terrazzo, backlit with coloured LEDs. Cineworld usually use this on the front of their VIP bars as seen here: https://gwcontracting.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/GW-Contracting-Cineworld-Renfrew-12.jpg
The structure of the new ceiling is becoming more apparent
The door to the former screen 4 was open and it appears to have been gutted (other than the screen itself). I could also see into the corridor to screen 5 which still had its leather-effect wall covering.
Just in the process of adding a few photos
Former screen 2 is now bookable for Avengers: Infinity War from 26 April. It’s now named 4DX (rather than having a number however I suspect it’s now technically screen 4) and seating is reduced to 136 across 9 rows (8 rows of 16 and the back row of 8).
The fit-out here seems to be more bespoke – others have a backlit frontage and use a white top, as shown here: https://www.martek.co.uk/cineworld-uk/
They do this nationwide every year, a one off screening of the top IMAX films over the past year at £3 per film. But this is the first time Leicester Square has been included – they’ve practically sold out all of the screenings and I’d imagine they’ll make a fortune in popcorn sales!
The pricing looks odd because it includes a 70p per ticket online booking fee. In cinema it will be £3.
The work they’re doing to the ceiling is starting to make sense now – I’ve uploaded a photo of the new recesses.
Having looked again the wall finish behind the concessions counter is temporary and presumably will be tiled.
New concessions counter is now open (photo added). I may be imagining things but it seems to take up less room than the old one and the ice cream counter has swapped ends. It has a glossy black front and black marble effect top. Back wall is a black paint effect with some subtle lighting. It’s all a little more understated than other recent openings and returns which have a backlit counter and hexagonal tiles on the back wall.
Now the area on the other side of the foyer (under the sloped ceiling) is hoarded off.
The exterior and the foyer have had some love ahead of Brief Encounter. The canopy and readograph have been repainted in gold, and there’s new illuminated signage and poster frames below. The foyer now has a parquet floor, has been repainted and given new lighting. Great to see it getting some TLC after years of neglect by UGC and Cineworld.
Another visit today, and more pictures added. The pelmet-like boxing is begging to extend around the foyer including in front of the sloped section, gaps in the ceiling have been covered with a temporary material and the hoarding extended upwards to meet it.
A wire cable trough is being added in some areas – it’s similar looking to what was put in at the O2 before the LED modules appeared but the siting of it makes me think it’s for something else.
In front of the former screen 2 there’s a piece of metal attached to the pelmet, which could be the start of a dropped ceiling.
Saw The Shape of Water in the Superscreen (screen 9) today, and the sound system did the BAFTA winning score justice. Black levels suffered in darker scenes, the visibly filthy port glass probably not helping matters.
Passed by here today and the large LED display is advertising Fifty Shades Freed for just £4.99 (still too much if you ask me!). Underneath in smaller text it says “At Vue Printworks and Vue Lowry” – oops! Actual price at this cinema is £17.49.
Gosh the finish on that ceiling is very bad – certainly wasn’t noticeable before the LED displays were put in. Interesting that you didn’t find the pillar LED strips particularly bright as they seemed almost too bright when I saw them myself – perhaps they’ve reduced the intensity?
Just over a week since the cinema reopened, and a few minor visible changes:
The foyer HVAC system seems to have been reinstalled (it was really cold last Friday) with vents appearing above the temporary concessions stand.
The curved wall has had the top and sides built out to house either a screen or a lightbox, and some of the rest of the ceiling has a sort of boxing on it (see photos) which I’m guessing will house LED wall washers. Presumably they’ll also use this to create a drop ceiling, but can’t really tell.
The door in the hoarding in front of former screens 4 and 5 was open and work was going on inside the entrances to the screens (sorry, didn’t get a photo of that)
The IMAX screen has been numbered as screen 8.
According to a friend the LED displays in the foyer are now active and the effect is very striking, and the Supercreen’s hula hoops have been taken down. The endless tinkering here is quite amusing although hardly professional.
It’s definitely new plasterboard and lights under the sloped section. Plasterboard and LED downlights are cheap and when you’re selling stuff you want it to look its best!
Yes, the black marble is next to the old screen 2 entrance. I hadn’t noticed before that the spheres on top of the balustrade are silver rather than brass but now that I’ve seen it it looks a little odd.
Interesting you should say that the walled-off section would be good for concessions, because if you look at older photos this is where they were originally.
easyCinema in Milton Keynes already went for the Passengers style model and that failed. That said, I remember when Cineworld had Haymarket and there was the odd occasion where I went into a screen without anyone checking my ticket…
All of the finishes are very much temporary, for example the rendering on the walls is quite rough and the paint a single, hurried coat.
Sound coming through from the IMAX is more than just low frequency rumbles and rattles, but not enough to make out dialogue. I suspect there’s a lot more to be done with the ceiling and doubt we’ll end up with one big smooth expanse. I can’t imagine that ceiling above the temporary concessions being left white or even with those lights.
I don’t think there’s enough space to provide the full retail offer where the temporary concessions stand is as there just isn’t the height and depth to provide things like ice cream (Cineworld website is listing Baskin Robbins, which isn’t there yet). Perhaps we’ll see something like a McDonald’s/Argos style ordering system to prevent queues snaking across the foyer?
One slightly odd thing I’ve noticed is that where there was previously a disused box office at the top of the stairs as you came in, this is now walled-off and the curved wall brought out to meet it. Seems unusual to take circulation space away but I guess they needed a bigger stockroom.
Work done so far is mostly just stripping-out. All floor finishes in the main foyer have been removed and the floor is covered with plastic, and all wall finishes have been removed bar a little black marble next to the box office. Some walls have recesses with electrical and network outlets, obviously meant to house portrait-oriented screens.
The ceiling has been replaced, bar a large section over what was the kiosk meaning you can see the underside of the risers in the IMAX screen. Current kiosk is a tiny temporary arrangement on the opposite side, which is going to struggle if anything in the IMAX gets a big audience.
On the access to the Superscreen and renumbered screens 5-7 the padded wall panels are gone as is the gold wallpaper on the front of the lift, but the golf finish remains once you get upstairs. The only remnant of Empire branding in the foyer is the IMPACT sign.
Toilets have had a partial refurb, with new floor tiles, sinks and lighting. Work in here also seems incomplete as some of the old lighting arrangement remains and the ceiling is filthy (made only more visible by the fact the floor is a lighter colour and the new lights are brighter). The new sinks and taps are a more conventional design than the old ones which is good as they were prone to creating puddles on the floor.
No changes in the screen I was in and seemingly no maintenance done over the closed period. Side masking inoperative, the fixed masking at top and bottom looking uneven and the focus soft. (At one point during the film there was a thud from someone nearby slamming a door or dropping something heavy which made the image shake!).
At the moment it’s far from finished and just in a state that just about allows them to operate as a cinema, so too early to make a call on the finished result.
Reopens this afternoon. Cineworld have sent this email out to Unlimited members (accompanied by a voucher for free popcorn):
“We are pleased to share that Cineworld Leicester Square is officially open, just in time to catch blockbusters including Fifty Shades Freed and Black Panther.
When catching your movie you’ll notice that Cineworld Leicester Square is going through a refurbishment. We know improvement works are annoying but you’re sure to be amazed by the difference."
I’m visiting after work so will be sure to report back with some photos, but I’m pretty much expecting a mostly finished foyer and not a lot else.
If you click on the time for a screening, there’s a little red summary tab at the top right of the screen which will show you the screen number. If you want to see thsee seating plan just add a ticket to the basket and click through to the next screen.