Building Name

Art Picture House and Cafe, Knowsley Street, Bury

Date
1921 - 1922
Street
Knowsley Street
District/Town
Bury
County/Country
GMCA, England
Client
The Bury Cinematograph Company
Work
New build
Listed
Grade II

Despite the enormous popularity of cinema attendance, the building of new cinemas all but ceased during the First World War. Construction restrictions were finally lifted in 1919 and in the early 1920s there was a flurry of new cinema openings. These new cinemas were larger and grander than their Edwardian predecessors and the Art Picture House is typical of the period. The cinema replaced the cinema conversion of a former Baptist chapel by Winstanley in 1910-11. A symmetrical facade with the main entrance placed in the centre. Access to the stalls was directly behind the foyer and thus patrons entered half way down the auditorium. This arrangement is more typical of theatre, than cinema, planning where unobtrusive entrances are required to allow continuous film performances. Internally, the design of the auditorium, complete with stage boxes, owed more to the theatre than the cinema.

It is constructed of a brick clad steel frame under a slate and asphalt roof with a stage and full height fly tower. The exterior in white faience tiles is of three storeys and nine symmetrical bays. There is a round arched central window at 1st and 2nd floor level and the words 'Art Pictures' to the left and 'Art Cafe' to the right. The center is crowned by stepped pedimental parapets. The ground floor level has been altered to allow greater access and light to the bar and originally the two outer bays had intricate arches with large keystones all done in faience.  Internally there was a very small foyer with marble stairs and a gilded metal balustrade with 1920's style Roman decoration leading to the balcony and doors leading to the ground floor of the theatre. The ground floor was divided between stalls and the cheaper pit (under balcony area) whilst upstairs the single balcony of 12 rows was returned along the side walls to the proscenium by way of two bow fronted boxes on either side. Unusually the projection box was downstairs under the balcony. The proscenium arch is unusually deeply arched and is supported on Ionic pilasters which were also used to frame the boxes. A deep, richly decorated, barrel vault ceiling covered the front area with a raised and domed ceiling over the rear of the balcony. All is encrusted with baroque motifs. There are three ventilation roundels. The fronts of the boxes and circle also contain richly detailed plasterwork in post Edwardian baroque style. Although opened in 1922 it has the feel of an older era. There was a large first floor cafe utilizing the balcony void area which is now a lounge. This was sometimes advertised as the Indian Lounge Cafe on account of is decor.

 It closed as a cinema in the 1960's and building has survived use as a billiard hall, bingo casino, and now a pub. The balcony is open but unused at present.

ReferenceManchester Guardian 8 March 1922 - contracts