23rd August 2025 - Bradford's Odeon cinema

Bradford's restoration of the Odeon Cinema.

They like it big down North. No I am not being smutty, I am talking about the revitalisation of the Odeon Cinema in Bradford.  Which as you should know is this year's City of Culture.  Probably this is of only interest to Yorkshire people but it is a history worth documenting.

Our Andrew's close friend is an architect and Adam was instrumental with his London firm of architects restoring this over the top but magnificent building started in the 1930s.  They are a conservationist firm and restore old buildings in as far as one is able to.  

The day of the cinema seemed over after the introduction of television and then Netflix, but they have struggled on, changing their format to suit the smaller audience. Still they stand like forlorn ghosts in towns but stripped of their usefulness till someone comes along and alters them.

This video shows how bad it was to start with, the enormous amount of work cost a great deal, but it was only through the dedication of Bradford people wanting the old building to remain that made it possible for the money to be found.

Bradford Live: how Tim Ronalds Architects helped residents save their historic cinema and turn it into a 3,800-capacity music venue | Building Study | Building Design  This article gives a full history of the work done, I have the pdf but cannot upload the link, but if you want to subscribe free for the article you can.

In my heart I think there is a quiet revival going on in this part of the land as the people migrate from  London, or indeed return to their roots.

Edit:  Adam Goodfellow, a very good name for an architect.  It reminds me of a name in a William Morris book on medieval England.  He was the project architect on the above work, which cost £50 million approximately.  He even designed the ladders to get to the lights amongst the work of contracting out all the various designs needing to be done.  I am slightly humbled by the fact that he has made plans for this house and I could not believe that the basement can be made waterproof - should have more faith.  Last weekend the three of us were in a zoom meeting with him to discuss any changes to the plans for this house.  Though I shall be well out of this world when it is finished......

Note the blank facade on the right hand side of the building.  At the time it was built it was facing onto a nearby building and it was thought this part did not need any decoration.  But I suppose now it will be used as an advertising board.