Chiswick Cinema 'On Schedule' To Open This Year
Project moving ahead with plans for November 2020 launch
The Chiswick Cinema project is about to start its next phase of construction and owner Lyn Goleby, who visited the site last week, is delighted with progress.
The planned opening date is still November 2020 for the five screen cinema, which will also have two bars and a cafe, and the cinema will have capacity for almost 500 movie fans.
She told local members of the press that they would be showing popular mainstream films, as well as more art-house productions, children's films, and 'event' broadcasts such as the Met Opera from New York.
Katie Gilbert, who is in charge of marketing commented: "We can’t wait to open our doors! The continued support of the community has been amazing with anticipation growing.
"Having sold out of Founder Memberships, the next levels of Membership will be released around September time and will include a student offering as well as two other levels. Thank you to all the community for continuing on our journey with us!"
A large crane (pictured above) is now on site, to install the structural steel columns to support the upper floors, with Conamar Building Services in charge of the project on the former Ballet Rambert premises.
The workforce on site is extending to fifty as the renovation continues, to provide three cinemas for 100 people, and two smaller screens, one of which will be a private screening room for 15 people with a private dining facility.
Lyn Goleby talks to a representative from Hounslow Council visiting the site
The interior is starting to take shape and this will continue into the spring and summer.
Mark Brown and Thomas Biggins from Conamar
The plans include a mezzanine area with a wall of glass looking out onto the High Road entrance. This will be a bar and a cafe and there will also be a Green Wall.
Project Manager Mark Brown praised local residents who have been very patient throughout the past several months of disruption during the works.
This is the entrance area where there will be a first floor members bar with roof terrace and wall of glass looking onto the street eg as envisioned in picture below
This area will have one of the larger screens and the top storeys will be residential
another image of the interior ground floor
this will be the member's roof terrace
The first phase of Founder Memberships sold out quickly and next year there will be a new round of Memberships available, including students and one-year membership.
The cinema management said, "We are overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm of the local community and can’t wait to open our doors!"
The project has taken several years to get off the ground largely due to difficulties getting agreement between the freeholder of the site and the cinema backers. This agreement was concluded in June 2018 between cinema entrepreneur, Lyn Goleby, the co-founder and former Managing Director of the Picturehouse chain. She left Picturehouse in 2017 after twenty-five years, to pursue new interests in independent cinema in the UK.
Picturehouse originally bought the 6,500sq ft dance studio site at 96-98 Chiswick High Road from Rambert Dance Company for £1.5 million in 2013. The Picturehouse chain was subsequently acquired by Cineworld and the Chiswick project was taken over by Ms Goleby's company Jubilacion Ltd. You can take a look at their Facebook page for updates or follow them on Twitter.
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February 8, 2020
