Demolition of the former Odeon Cinema Manchester

[aidanorourke]

The former Odeon Cinema on Oxford St Manchester is to be demolished. I've written an article about it, which can be viewed here

What are your views? Should old cinemas like this be saved as a matter of course? Or is it time to move on and accept that some buildings, no matter how memorable, just can't be maintained into the future.

[Ashtonian]

Alas, a building from a bygone era. No longer able to fulfill its purpose
now that changing styles and behaviours have the cinema going public going
to the modern megaplexes for their entertainment. Hard as this may seem to
say, especially from, someone who values the historical nature of many of
our old buildings, it is in this case that I must side with the developer
and remove the Odeon from Oxford St.

The building has outlived its usefulness and the precious land can perhaps
be the home of something new and exciting again.

New laws and new regulations demand so much more from public buildings
that sometimes starting from scratch with a brand new building is the best
alternative
to costly repairs, renovations and upkeep.

The building and others of it's genre are indeed classic but modern living
demands modern conveniences.

[jonko]

Sorry, but I don't agree. Manchester is having far too many cheap and nasty buildings thrown up by greedy developers out to make a quick few million, we really don't need more. I say "Keep our Odeon", get it showing not only films again but make it a centre of culutre for all art forms (now if we were in Liverpool, the council would be doing all it could to save it, as Liverpool CC is doing to save the Lime street ABC). We have no alternative scene in manchester, everything is in the mainstream. Since the closure of the B O W there is nothing, Odeon could make a brilliant mixed performance and digital media centre, a much needed venue for the community of Manchester, and by god, with the serious lack of culture in this city, we don't half need it!!

What does all this apartment building bring us? Cheap looking architecture - cause all we are getting in this new modern city are cheap red brick and second rate steel that looks like alliminium that would buckle and fall down during a real storm - not like that mild one of the other week that brought the city to a standstill! Ridiculous, a bit of weather and we just can't cope in this city anymore. Now, let's not forget more people and cars in our city and more cash in the council's bank account, as there's obviously going to be a massive increase in council tax revenue. Oh, and let's not forget parking fees/fines revenue. But listen, the City Council have now had another brilliant idea, move in 10,000s people into the city, then when all the development's finished in 2011, slap a toll charge on them all for driving in and out of the city to work! Well I never, which clever ass dreamt that one up - our man Pat Karney?

Now here's one that I bet they haven't thought about, imagine a bomb going of the size of the IRA one in the now new city of manchester - the city would be flattenned and thousands would be killed or maimed for life by flying glass from all the massive glass paneled windows. These new buildings are just not strong enough to withstand the mighty power of such a blast or a tornado - they'd be ripped apart. Hey, but who cares! As long as those greedy fat-cat bastards have earned their millions and fled back to where they came from - then no-one really. Just the maimed and those bereaved of members of the family. Like those few of us who feel bereaved when one more of our beautiful old buildings bite the dust, dictated by the power of money and so called progress.

If only I could get all those developers (and that includes some very famous people in Manchester - whose names I will not mention for fear of retribution) - but they know who they are, together in the top apartment of that Deansgate monstrosity, I'd fly a plane into it in the name of Art. Yes I'd be a marter, and why not!?

The alternative for them is, it doesn't really matter if they pull down the Odeon does it? As they can build a high quality office block (regardless of all the empty ones in town, in the new Hulme and in Salford Quays) with a TEsco Metro and a couple of dick-head, hand-bag, thug related bars on the ground floor, all in the name of profit. Forget culture, who needs it when a city's footbal, beer, alcholism and binge drinking students - "owt for a laughh,eh mate!!"

Don't know why they can't just build their offices, apartments or 5* hotel on the site next door. Now that is worth pulling down and it's coming down too - probably owned by the same developers I guess. But, whoever thought they'd pull down the Free Trade Hall? What will happen to the old Fire Station on London Road? And, please note lovers of great architecture - the Free Masons Hall will be the next building to bit the dust! Remember, you read it forum first!

One last thought, leave the Odeon, why not pull down the Cornerhouse instead and transform Urbis into a high spec office block !?

[spurious]

I very much agree with the last post. Closing down the Odeon is one thing (the new one's much better anyway) but tearing down the old building will only result in one horribly predictable thing... yet another set of apartments or office blocks with a cheap bar underneath and maybe a retail outlet or two.

As much as I love the regeneration of Manchester, and it does look so much better then it did ten years ago, there needs to be some thought and effort put into the architecture and end use of the new developments. The very last thing Manchester needs is yet another bar. With the new Giovanni restaurant opening nearby and Tai Wu just up the road, another high-end restaurant seems likely, but we do so desperately need a bit of class now.

Manchester seems to be catering for what it's got - a low brow binge drinking 'lad' culture - when what it should be doing is encouraging it's public to raise thier game and let their behaviour match the sophistication of what's on offer. If all we have is bars, all we'll get are drinkers.

[emjay]

Further to my article elsewhere on this site (thanks for including it, Aidan) to no one's real surprise the plans to demolish the Paramount/Odeon and replace it with an office block were approved by the council. English Heritage also dismissed any last minute attempts to spot list the building as they stood by their earlier decision that the building had been too badly mutilated in the course of it's life to merit it.

So sadly that's that then, the Odeon is as good as rubble.

In a cruel twist I spent Saturday night at a birthday party at the Italian restaurant that has relocated right opposite the old cinema. Thanks to our window table (and the tardiness of the service) I had to spend three hours looking at the damn thing, how depressing .The great bulk of the building just seems to be getting bigger, dominating the view. I imagine diners there in months to come will have a ringside seat for the Odeon's demise, but I for one won't be amongst them.


M J Savage

[greg fenton]

its a shame...i always liked the building never mind anything else. and you're right something more constructive than an office block could have been added to the city !

[kingrikk]

I just thought I'd point out a slight error I saw in the Article by Michael Savage.

The Oxford Road Odeon closed before Odeon and UCI merged. It closed (IIRC) June, Terra Firma bought Odeon in September and UCI in October.

I think it was a lot more to do with attendance and DDA than any possible merger in the (then) future.

Just to set the record straight, because this seems to be a common misconception

[aidanorourke]

As I stated on the description next to one of my Odeon photos the Odeon closed on 2 September 2004. The Disability Discrimination Act (2004) came into force on 1 October, almost a month to the day after the closure of the Odeon.

On Coxy's Blog I have seen the structure that will be built on the site of the Odeon on Oxford Rd and to be frank, I find it hideous. This is a partly subjective and partly objective appraisal.

I went to the Odeon quite a few times, and loved the interior of the building, especially the hall on the top floor with the curved ceiling. I loved the big screen - not the original one, but still bigger than a multiplex screen - and the feeling of being in a piece of living history.

Manchester is gradually turning into a different place to the one I returned from the Middle East to live in 10 years ago.

It's painful for me to go anywhere near Piccadilly Gardens. Soon it will also be painful to go anywhere near Oxford Street, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like this.

Looks like I'll be spending less and less time in Manchester and more time in other cities.

[kingrikk]

Originally Posted by aidanorourke

As I stated on the description next to one of my Odeon photos the Odeon closed on 2 September 2004.

My apologies, but my point is still that the decision was made before the merger took place.

Originally Posted by aidanorourke

On Coxy's Blog I have seen the structure that will be built on the site of the Odeon on Oxford Rd and to be frank, I find it hideous. This is a partly subjective and partly objective appraisal.

Horrible, isn't it?

[aidanorourke]

The unseemly construction that is proposed for the site of the destroyed Odeon Cinema looks similar to the equally unpleasant building that was placed on Piccadilly Gardens.

Manchester City Council should give a stay of execution to the Odeon. It would do no harm to leave it as it is. I believe a lot of older buildings should simply be 'put in mothballs' until a new use becomes viable.

Many newly constructed office buildings have stood empty - maybe to make speculative money, or maybe for some other reason - Centre Point in London and that new glass fronted building next to the M56 / A560 in Wythenshawe, brightly lit - and empty - every night.

So why not leave an older building in place? Manchester doesn't need another office building and certainly not one that looks like the proposed design.

Can we not appeal to some higher authority to intervene and prevent this irreversible destruction of our city?