The Guardian recently asked their readers to recommend independent cinemas and over 1,500 of them responded. The top ten recommendations included three cinemas designed by Burrell Foley Fischer; Campbeltown Picture House, Lewes Depot and Newlyn Filmhouse. Read the recommendations on the Guardian here.
Burrell Foley Fischer are widely acknowledged as a leader in modern cinema design and in particular in the development of a new breed of urban cinemas. Our specialist knowledge of the film sector is underpinned by over 30 years’ experience working for independent cinema operators, regional film theatres and community arts cinemas. The refurbishment and remodelling of cinemas in listed buildings, to meet the expectations of a modern cinemagoing audience whilst respecting the historic integrity of the building, is a particular speciality of the practice.
Campbeltown Picture House: “Winning tip: Peninsular pictures, Argyll & Bute”
The Picture House has the joint accolade of being one of Europe’s few surviving atmospheric cinemas and Scotland’s oldest purpose-built cinema still in operation. The conservation project, led by Burrell Foley Fischer, restored the art nouveau exterior and the historic main auditorium to its 1930s design, and provided a new state of the art second screen, café, education room and other facilities. campbeltownpicturehouse.co.uk
Lewes Depot: “Depot delight, East Sussex”
The Depot is a new three-screen community cinema on the site of the modest but much loved existing warehouse of the old Harveys brewery depot in Lewes. The three screens have been discreetly inserted within the saved brick shell, with the major design move being to attach a new glazed extension with the depot structure fully visible as the historic backdrop to the new box office, café bar, restaurant and film education and training facilities. Reflecting the historic site layout of orchards and meadows, the former tarmacked service yard is landscaped to provide a new public realm. lewesdepot.org
Newlyn Filmhouse: “Soho on sea, Cornwall”
The Newlyn Filmhouse provides a new two-screen cultural cinema with a café bar in a former fish store on the Coombe in Newlyn, Cornwall. Externally the conversion makes use of existing large shuttered openings at ground and first floor level and retains the character and appearance of the building as a former light industrial building. Since opening the cinema has become a much-loved addition to the seaside town and fishing port. newlynfilmhouse.com