Former Abbey Cinema, Wavertree, Liverpool

Summary

Former cinema, 1937-1939, by Sir Alfred Ernest Shennan for the Regal Cinema Co (Liverpool) Ltd, with alterations carried out in 1979 and the early 1980s for conversion into a supermarket, bingo hall and snooker club. Moderne style with Art Deco and International Style influences.

Description

MATERIALS: brown hand-cut bricks with concrete and faience dressings externally, a steel and brick structure with concrete floor levels internally. Later extensions in buff brick.

PLAN: the former Abbey Cinema occupies a prominent corner location at the junction of Childwall Road and Church Road North, with principal elevations onto both roads and a main entrance to the west corner facing the Picton Clock Tower. The building has a rectangular plan with the proscenium area located at the north-east end and foyer and lounge at the south-west end.

EXTERIOR: externally there are flat concrete roofs to all parts of the building (that to the auditorium block has cream faience copings), metal windows with large panes and brick soldier heads, and cast-iron rainwater goods. The windows are believed to have been replaced, and are in the style and material of the originals, but with fewer transoms.

WEST CORNER ENTRANCE: the main entrance exists to the west corner of the building and is formed of a wide full-height semi-circular projection incorporating three bands of glazing separated vertically by fins clad with black faience (missing in places) and separated horizontally by cream faience bands. The glazing bands diminish in height as they progress up the building. At the base is the main entrance itself, which consists of three doorways set below a wide flat, curving canopy that wraps around the entrance; the canopy has an extremely deep late-C20 fascia/signage hoarding and it is unknown whether the original slender canopy depicted in historic photographs survives underneath. The brickwork separating the entrance doorways was originally clad with black faience, but this has since been removed and 1980s buff-brick facings added in front. The curved entrance projection is flanked by slender 'turrets' with slender windows to the top part; that to the left contains a steel stair internally that provides access up to the second floor. The turrets originally had affixed signage lettering near the top that read 'ABBEY', but this has since been removed.

NORTH-WEST ELEVATION: continuing around from the west corner entrance are two further projections in front of the north-west side wall of the auditorium block that increase in width and step down to the left of the entrance turret with curved north-east ends and overhanging flat roofs. The first projection maintains the flush wall face of the turret and has a tall band of glazing to the first floor and a further smaller window above, separated by vertical raised brickwork banding. The lower projection has a tall window and raised brickwork courses that appear as horizontal banding and continue around a shallow south-west return. The tall auditorium block behind has full-height brick fins that narrow at the top and rise above the roofline, and a square boiler wall stack at the north-eastern end. The fins also have sunken bricks to each corner on alternate courses. Attached in front of the projections on this elevation at ground-floor level is a low single-storey, buff-brick addition added in the 1980s* (the addition is excluded from the listing) with a series of doorway openings aligned with the original fire exits and with some additional openings, all with modern roller shutters. To the far left (north-east end) of the elevation is an original single-storey projection with curved corners and a flat canopy projecting from the centre that originally formed a secondary stalls entrance; the front wall has been built forward in buff brick in the 1980s and two doorways inserted. Behind the entrance projection and forming the north-east end of the auditorium block (i.e. the proscenium and screen end) is a lower three-storey ancillary range that would have probably originally contained office space and staff rooms for the cinema. On this side it has wide paired, horizontal windows to the two floors above the stalls entrance.

SOUTH-WEST ELEVATION: this principal elevation facing Church Road North incorporates the south-west end of the auditorium block and also has stepped projections on this side, although they are slightly differently styled to those on the north-west elevation and both are flush with the wall face of the adjacent entrance turret. The projection immediately adjacent to the turret is of the same height as that to the north-west side and also has a curved end, but has two shorter windows and plain brickwork, whilst that to the right is lower and longer than its north-west facing counterpart and has a squared corner and slender horizontal windows. The auditorium block behind has three two-storey, round-headed window recesses to the centre containing short round-headed windows to the uppermost part with raised vertical brickwork banding below. The recesses are flanked by 'ladder' patterned raised brickwork detailing that runs the full height of the auditorium block. To the far right of the elevation is a stair tower with a tripartite front incorporating a slightly projecting central section that also breaks through the roofline, with slender stair windows to each floor surrounded by cream faiencework. The tower contains a steel stair internally that provides access up to the second floor. Attached in front of the elevation at ground-floor level is a low single-storey buff-brick addition added in the 1980s* (the addition is excluded from the listing) with a series of doorway openings aligned with the original fire exits (the original external wall and openings survive internally) and with some additional openings, all with modern roller shutters, one of which served as the main entrance for the late-C20 bingo and snooker hall.

NORTH-EAST ELEVATION: the north-east ancillary range is of a low three-storeys and has windows to the two upper floors in the same style as those to the north-west elevation and larger windows to the ground floor (with modern metal grilles in front) interspersed with fire exit doors with modern roller shutters. Each floor has raised horizontal brick banding detail. A modern external flue exists between the first and second floors.

SOUTH-EAST ELEVATION: the south-east elevation, which originally faced the car park, consists of the south-east side of the auditorium block and has the same fin detail as the north-west elevation. The ground-floor level is now (2021) obscured by an attached large single-storey 1980s supermarket warehouse extension in buff brick, which is excluded from the listing.

INTERIOR: internally there are both concrete and steel fire exit stairs (some visible through later partitioning), with at least one of the concrete stairs retaining original ramped metal handrails.

The majority of the ground-floor areas, including the entrance vestibule and foyer at the south-west end of the building, and the stalls area of the auditorium, have been altered following the conversion to supermarket use, and upon inspection it was not possible to see conclusively if original features survive on this level behind later features or partitioning and under later coverings.

The entrance vestibule originally had a glass mosaic floor, but now has a modern polished concrete floor, and part of the north-east wall of the ground-floor foyer has been opened-up to create access into the former auditorium, whilst the south-eastern end of the foyer has been partitioned off to create a smaller foyer for the bingo and snooker hall entrance. A modern polished concrete floor has also been laid in the auditorium to create a level surface where it had previously been raked in the former stalls area, and encased steel columns support a concrete upper floor inserted in 1979. An inserted opening in the south-east wall leads through into the 1980s warehouse extension, which is not included in the listing.

The ground-floor foyer originally had a wooden mosaic floor decorated with music motifs, as well as a mirror-clad wall and a walnut-clad wall, and a 10ft wide green-terrazzo stair that led up to the first-floor lounge. The walnut and mirror cladding has been removed, but a section of wooden mosaic flooring is visible in the partitioned south-eastern section of the foyer latterly used by the bingo and snooker hall, but later floor coverings prevent inspection of other areas. This section of the foyer also retains the main foyer stair, which leads up to the first-floor lounge and survives with modern tread coverings and replaced balustrades. A late-C20 lift shaft has been inserted next to the stair, which accesses the former balcony.

The first-floor lounge has been subdivided and partitioned, but retains its four large fluted ceiling domes (original pendant uplighters removed). The south-western half of the lounge remains largely open, although the area directly above the main entrance has been partitioned to create a kiosk and small office. An original Art Deco ceiling corbel depicted in a historic photograph survives, along with wooden mosaic flooring decorated with music motifs. It is unclear whether the flooring survives in the other half of the former lounge due to the presence of later floor coverings. The original stair from the lounge out to the balcony survives, although half of it is now concealed behind later partitioning.

The auditorium's proscenium, which was originally 42 feet wide, has been removed and the upper level of the auditorium above the inserted 1979 floor now has a 1980s decorative scheme to the side walls. Above a later inserted suspended ceiling is the original coved ceiling with rows of large fluted domes that run from the rear of the auditorium to the front. The domes originally had uplighters to the centre, but the lights have since been removed, and modern flues have been inserted through some parts of the ceiling and two of the domes. The line of the balcony front appears to survive in part, although the south-eastern end has been interrupted and built out through the addition of a stair and wheelchair lift platform leading down onto the 1979 inserted floor. Modern platform structures and balustrading have also been added to create two upper areas on the balcony. Seating has been removed, but the original timber seating tiers appear to survive to most parts of the balcony under the later additions/accretions.

At the north-east end of the auditorium are late-C20 inserted partition walls, behind which is a kitchen, toilets and storage areas that occupy the proscenium area and the first-floor level of the rear ancillary range. Also behind the partition wall, but at a half-storey above, is a shallow 1980s stage with a bingo call box, wall decoration, and two low, mirror-clad curved flanking walls concealing entrances onto the stage and short staircases from second-floor rear offices/staff rooms in the north-east ancillary range. The ancillary range's offices have three large blocked-up openings in the south-west wall that were intended as viewing gallery windows for the 1980s squash courts. At each end of the ancillary range are early-1980s stairs presumably also intended for use associated with the 1980s squash courts and subsequently used as fire exits for the bingo hall and snooker hall.

On the second floor at the south-west end of the building are projection and storage rooms. The building's brick and concrete construction is fully visible on this level with some bare-brick walls and exposed concrete. A corridor runs alongside the south-west external wall and around the west corner, with rooms off to the north-east side and south-east end, and painted signage reading 'NO SMOKING'. A projection room set to the centre now contains later industrial-sized flues, whilst two enlarged flanking rooms intended for use as projection rooms serving the 1980s twin cinema have original Lenscrete rooflights and hatch access into the concrete and steel roof structure above the auditorium's domed ceiling. The corridor is accessed at each end via steel stairs.

* Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas Act 1990 ('the Act') it is declared that these aformentioned features are not of special architectural or historic interest, however any works which have the potential to affect the character of the listed building as a building of special architectural or historic interest may still require LBC and this is a matter for the LPA to determine.

History

The Abbey Cinema was designed in 1937 by Sir Alfred Ernest Shennan for the Regal Cinema Co (Liverpool) Ltd, an independent Liverpool chain. Shennan's plans were approved in September 1937 and construction began in the spring of 1938. The building was erected at a cost of £50,000 excluding the site, and the general contractors were Roberts & Sloss Ltd, with specialist contractors brought in for individual elements. Construction was completed in early 1939 and the building was officially opened on 4 March 1939 with a performance of Joy of Living starring Irene Dunn and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. The cinema originally had seating for 1,126 on the ground floor and 744 in the balcony.

The Abbey was sold to the local Bedford Cinema Group in 1943 and in 1964 it was converted into a Cinerama cinema (Liverpool's only example) at a cost of £105,000, which involved installing a giant curved Cinerama screen in front of the original proscenium and flanking walls, and altering the rear stalls area to insert a new projection room. The seating was also rearranged, reducing the capacity to 1,260, and the first-floor lounge was converted into a licensed bar. Cinerama films ceased at the Abbey in 1971 when it switched to a 70mm single lens (along with all Cinerama cinemas around the world, apart from one in Chicago), and the cinema closed entirely on 4 August 1979, shortly after which time the cinema's contents were auctioned off.

Following closure as a cinema, a floor was inserted into the auditorium to enable the conversion of the ground floor into a supermarket, and a large single-storey warehouse extension was added on the south-east side on the site of the original car park in 1980-1981. Further additions were also added to the ground-floor exterior at the same time. The balcony was converted for twin cinema use and three squash courts were inserted at the rear of the former stage, with a viewing gallery created in the rear ancillary service/office space behind the stage. However, these did not open and in the early 1980s the upper part of the auditorium and balcony were converted for use as a bingo hall, which was opened on 18 October 1984 by (Sir) Ken Dodd, and the squash court viewing gallery was returned to office/staff room space for the bingo hall. The balcony was subsequently altered further for use in part as a snooker club. The bingo hall and snooker club closed in the late C20/early C21, and the supermarket closed in 2020.

It is understood that in the mid-C20 the Abbey Cinema was frequented by George Harrison and John Lennon who both lived nearby as teenagers and it is mentioned in the original lyrics of John Lennon’s song ‘In My Life', although it was not included in the final version. The Abbey Cinema has also featured in some of the Beatles' personal writings and in public reminiscences of their life in Liverpool.

Sir Alfred Ernest Shennan (1887-1959) was a Liverpool architect who also served as a city councillor and alderman from 1920 to 1956 and was leader of the council when he designed the Abbey Cinema. During his career Shennan designed a number of Liverpool cinemas, including the Atlas Cinema on Rice Lane, Mere Lane Picture House, The Plaza at Allerton, Curzon Cinema at Old Swan, Grosvenor Cinema at Kirkdale, Granada Cinema at Dovecot, the Mayfair on Aigburth Road, many of which have since been demolished. He also carried out a 1920 conversion of the Theatre Royal on Breck Road into the Royal Super Cinema. Shennan has two listed buildings in Liverpool to his name; Greenbank Drive Synagogue (Grade II*) and the former Forum Cinema (Grade II), which he designed with the ABC circuit architect William Glen.

Reasons for Listing

The former Abbey Cinema, constructed in 1937-1939 to the designs of (Sir) Alfred Ernest Shennan, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* it is a good, and increasingly, rare example of a medium-scale 1930s ‘super cinema’ built for a small independent local chain in the heyday of cinema design and cinemagoing;

* it is an imposing building with a Moderne design that references continental cinema design and uses elegant brickwork treatment combined with a bold composition to maximum effect;

* it was designed by the notable regional architect (Sir) Alfred Ernest Shennan, a specialist in cinema design, and is a good example of his later work where he experimented with more Moderne and Art Deco styles;

* despite later alteration and change of use the interior retains its character and identity as a former cinema on the upper floors and retains numerous features of special note throughout, including the main foyer stair, wooden mosaic flooring, fluted ceiling domes in the former lounge, the auditorium ceiling with its fluted domes, the balcony stair, balcony seating tiers, and the secondary access stairs and projection rooms.

Group value:

* it has strong group value with the nearby listed Lock Up (1796), Picton Clock Tower (1884), and the Lamb Hotel (mid-C19 with late-C19 alterations) in highlighting the evolution, development and changing face of Wavertree village from a small rural village into a suburb of Liverpool.

External Links

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British Listed Buildings

History in Structure

Former Abbey Cinema

A Grade II Listed Building in Wavertree, Liverpool

Coordinates

Summary

Description

History

Reasons for Listing

External Links

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