Salon Cinema

garypainter on January 15, 2011 at 10:13 am

Now named The Hillhead Bookclub, the venue continues as a bar with a slightly quirky theme, reflecting the bohemian student neighbourhood in which it lies. The decoration has been altered to that of shabby industrial chic, and the false window in the former screen area has been removed, exposing the bare wall face beneath. Nonetheless, most of the decorated plasterwork on the ceiling is still visible.

garypainter on March 12, 2008 at 7:13 pm

The conversion to Littlejohn’s restaurant was largely sympathetic, with the stalls rake terraced over, the balcony boarded off for toilets and offices, and film projected onto the original screen with a video projector.

The conversion to Gong was an appalling infliction, completely hiding most of the original interior under false panelling.

In 2007, it was refurbished, and the opportunity was taken to remove much of this panelling, once again uncovering the fantastic ceiling ribs and plasterwork, and sidewall decoration. The modern glass canopy was replaced with a replica Edwardian one, although the Littlejohn’s version was perhaps more convincing. Sadly, new mezzanine wings were built along the sides of the auditorium, but these are glass-fronted and not completely ruinous. The original application proposed puncturing the unique Hennebique ferroconcrete ceiling for skylights, but this was thankfully dropped. In fact, the cinema made extensive use of Hennebique ferroconcrete, presumably for fireproofing reasons – the balcony, roof with its exposed structural ribs and the projection box at the rear stalls under the balcony all made use of this process.

As of Spring 2008, there are film shows projected digitally onto the former screen area during some evenings.