Campbeltown Picture House
Project Description
Campbeltown Picture House is one of the first purpose built cinemas in Scotland, built in 1913. This Category-A listed building is unique, with a Glasgow school art nouveau exterior and an equally impressive and unusual ‘atmospheric style’ interior. It survives today as a rare space, largely unaltered from the 1935 remodelling by the original architect Albert V. Gardner. The Centenary Project was completed in December 2017 restoring this magnificent building and creating a modern cinema destination complete with a second screen, new foyer and café, and spaces for exhibitions, displays, education and community activities.
Supporting Statement
Cambeltown Community Business has been running the historic picture house as a social enterprise and crucial part of the life of the town since long before such terms were trendy. As part of the recent regeneration and expansion of the building - adding a second modern screen and cafe and education facilities, a volunteer-led project also worked to catalogue and digitise the large paper archive of the business, which has led to the original files now being housed by the Moving Image Archive at the NLS."determinedly pert and promenade-pretty; a priceless survivor. Designed by Albert V Gardner in 1912 - 1913, and renovated by him 1934-35, its importance as one of the earliest surviving cinemas can scarcely be overstated."
- F A Walker, The Buildings of Scotland - Argyll and Bute
Gallery of images
Exterior
Auditorium
Open Day
Open Day
Screen 1
Wee House