Vue Piccadilly
19 Lower Regent Street,
London,
SW1Y 4LR
19 Lower Regent Street,
London,
SW1Y 4LR
11 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 32 comments
Grand opening ads posted.
Walked by here around 20:00 recently…appears deserted almost scary Shame…There is always a need for screens in the West End for sub and second runs
Now if only its sister on Haymarket could get a similarly high quality exterior restoration and lighting package.
Nightshot of the former Plaza from November 2017:–
PLAZA
Photos of plasterwork remnants can be seen in documents submitted in relation to the following planning applications:
http://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=0206506ADLBC — see “PROPOSALS FOR THE SALVAGE & REUSE OF EXISTING DOORS / PLASTERWORK” – PDF page numbers 18-20. Note that this part of the document is excerpted from an earlier 1998 survey. Also within this document are details of a later survey (PDF p4), and on PDF p21-22 are plans from the 1998 survey showing locations where plasterwork and other auditorium decorative remnants were found.
http://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=I70H4KRP59000 – see “PHOTOS” – which are of a couple of removed sections of plasterwork.
http://idoxpa.westminster.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=IGFO5IRPR1000 – see “PLASTERWORK SCHEDULE” – details of the four sections of plasterwork removed and proposed restoration work (white paint only!) – and “PHOTO” – showing the proposed wall display of these sections.
madorganplayer: In response to your question about whether the roof was “taken off,” it certainly seems to be the case.
This can be seen in Google Earth (desktop application) by turning on “Historical Imagery” and setting the date to 2003.
For convenience, and since Google allow limited use of these images on third-party sites providing attribution is included, I have exported the relevant image from Google Earth and uploaded to the Photos section.
Documents associated with the planning application for the 2000s reconstruction are available. (N.B. Some modifications were made to these proposals in subsequent applications.)
The roof plan shows new glazed roof areas, and most of the remaining part of the roof is a “flat roof to plant enclosure.”
Looking at the section plans, the plant rooms and central section of glazed roofing extend above the original building. Beneath them, there are offices (fourth floor) which also extend above the original building.
Given the extensiveness of the reconstruction, requiring the facades/dome to be “proped up,” I’m afraid that the chances of organ parts remaining up there are, I’d suggest, zero.
Photo taken during the farewell organ concert 17/09/1967 Added at photo tab
davepring, I was working at the Apollo installing and updating the plasma a few years ago.Those to the windows and above the staircase are extremely difficult to get at because of the glass staircase and it doesnt surprise me that they are no longer working.The company i was working at no longer work for Vue.Vue are cheapskates and penny pinching and try to do things for themselves and balls it up in the process.At least Apollo under Paul Gregg and later his missus Anita tried to keep things working.
You go to Paris and have a great range of international film programming…All the US pictures and a well-curated mix of local and international product…The Odeon Panton Street does some good sub-run programming but is seriously out of date…This site just needs good programming to survive (a la the old Swiss Centre cinema)
Exterior and lobby photographs from February 2015.
Since being rebranded as Vue this cinema has gone downhill.The plasma info screens no longer work.The foyer is desolate with tatty signs directing you down to the cinemas..shameful.
Now known as the Vue Picadilly…a bit off the beaten track of the West End screens…currently programming day date mass market pictures along the rest of the West End…One would think that it would have a better chance if it programmed art house fare in line with the Odeon Covent Garden or Panton Street.
Interesting to see if this survives or not…the only thing that might work in the space is a restaurant
Ive worked at the Apollo a few times installing plasma screens.It was odd knowing that i was working where the stalls once were.Ive attached a couple of pictures of the Plaza WurliTzer-one in the pit at the Plaza and the other at its first home in Ascot after being removed.The organ had an odd start to life.,the chambers were split either side of the proscenium.The solo organ and the 32
Diaphone disturbed nearby offices.The Solo organ was then moved up into the roof speaking out from above the proscenium which made it sound rather odd.The Diaphones were disconnected and it is believed left in the theatre in the roof space when the organ was removed.My guess is that they were broken up when the building was converted.Im presuming that the roof was taken off?a photo of screen 2 with its pop-art wall panels as it was being stripped out, the seat backs have all gone, just the seat cushions left
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3535004297/
and the box office as it was being dismantled, still with a few bulbs left working
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3535824888/
all the plasterwork was removed and disposed of safely as it contained asbestos, you wont be seeing it back i’m afraid.
photo taken just before the demolition crew moved in, this panel of original plasterwork was removed and stored and was to have been displayed in the new Apollo lobby.
http://flickr.com/photos/woody1969/63380109/
“Zulu” in 70mm at the Plaza?.
Recently I was viewing a the recent Widescreen DVD of the film “Zulu” and the interesting exta item was the “Making of Zulu”.
There was some details that it was first openned at the Plaza in 1964, but no details if it was in Technirama70 (70mm) or just a 35mm Mag sound version.
The first 70mm film at the Plaza was “Becket” in March 1964 and I wondered if “Zulu” was ever screened in 70mm at the Plaza in this year?.
A pre demolition shot of the Plaza in 1988 here:–
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nightime shot of the exterior of the plaza building, with the discrete apollo entrance on the lower left side
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A recent close-up view of the entrance of the Apollo West End:
http://www.moviebunker.com/apollo_west_end.htm
Here is a July 2006 photo of the Apollo Theater. Nice exterior; didn’t get a chance to few the interior.
It is amazing that the interior of this stunning cinema was not listed although the frontage was. The replacement auditoria were good of their kind though – spacious and comfortable. I went to see all the big Paramount releases here in the 70’s and 80’s. Once it was divided further though it lost all it’s identity and became very bland. How sad to see that the spacious foyer has become another ghastly supermarket. Shopping malls and supermarkets seem to have become the new entertainment centres. Consumerism gone mad!
Here is almost the same view, taken at night in early 2005:
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And a closeup of the colourful roof:
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A 2001 exterior photograph of the Plaza 1-4 just prior to its closing and re-development into the Apollo West End:
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The most expensive cinema in the west end and not a patch on the Plaza when a twin cinema in the 70s.The cleaned exterior is stunning and the basement cinemas bland…avoid!!!!