Regal Cinema

A large detached building located at the junction between Cowley Road and Magdalen Road in the Cowley district to the southeast of Oxford.

The building was constructed by Union Cinemas Ltd. and opened as as the Regal Cinema on 19th April 1937. Designed by noted architect Robert Cromie, it is regarded to be one of the top two examples surviving of his work. He was one of the first architects to specialise in cinema design and the building on the Cowley Road, despite its seemingly stark exterior, has a well planned and designed interior, still extant despite later alterations. At the opening ceremony deputy mayor Mary Townsend said it was a sign of the growing prosperity of Oxford that the cinema had been built.

The Regal Cinema was equipped with a Compton 3Manual/5Rank organ, with illuminated console and a melotone unit. The organ was opened by Sydney Torch.

In October 1937, Union Cinemas were taken over by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) and the Regal Cinema came under their control. The organ was removed to the Ritz Cinema, Keighley in February 1938.

The Regal Cinema closed in July 1970 and was converted into a bingo hall. It remained in this use until its closure in 2004, when the Gala Bingo Club moved to a new purpose built bingo hall at the Ozone Leisure Park.

After standing empty for a few years, the building was converted into a live venue/nightclub which opened on 3rd May 2008. It was taken over by the Christian Life Centre church in October 2011, and the nightclub closed on New Years Eve, 2011.

The Regal Cinema was designated a Grade II Listed building by English Heritage on 3rd August 2004.

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