BobOsborn
Odeon Cinema - Yeovil, Somerset
The auditorium ceiling today.
Mollo and Egan designed a striking auditorium scheme for the Odeon Yeovil which relied on reflected light. "The thing was to provide reflecting surfaces. It was done by projectors from a number of sources. It wasn't static and the light would be changing all the time, on dimmers," Egan recalled. At Yeovil the team pioneered the continuation of the brightly lit ceiling down the side walls to a diagonal line descending towards the screen.
The eponymous 'Odeon Style' design of Yeovil's Odeon Cinema was supervised, like the majority of Odeon Cinemas, by Birmingham architect Harry Weedon, using signature cream tiles and brickwork to create a towering Deco-based edifice. The auditorium was designed by renowned 'thirties cinema interior designers Mollo & Egan. The cinema was built on the site of Court Ash House and opened in 1937. It was later bought by Cannon Cinemas and finally closed as a cinema in 2001. It is now a furniture / bedding outlet.
An important element in the Deutsch's success was the 'Odeon Style' featured here in Yeovil, which broke away from that of the traditional theatre which had previously influenced cinema design. In addition to the distinctive lettering of the logo, Odeons embraced the modern movement and Art Deco. Foyers, auditoriums and every aspect of these cinemas were integrated into the design. Contrasting strong vertical and horizontal lines, curved corners, buff-coloured glazed tile on the facades, the use of neon lights, and contemporary interior decor made Deutsch's houses stand out from their rivals.
The black & white photos were taken in 1937 by John Maltby and are 'borrowed' from the English Heritage website.
Photographed March 2013.
Check out my Flickr photo collection of Yeovil, Somerset
Odeon Cinema - Yeovil, Somerset
The auditorium ceiling today.
Mollo and Egan designed a striking auditorium scheme for the Odeon Yeovil which relied on reflected light. "The thing was to provide reflecting surfaces. It was done by projectors from a number of sources. It wasn't static and the light would be changing all the time, on dimmers," Egan recalled. At Yeovil the team pioneered the continuation of the brightly lit ceiling down the side walls to a diagonal line descending towards the screen.
The eponymous 'Odeon Style' design of Yeovil's Odeon Cinema was supervised, like the majority of Odeon Cinemas, by Birmingham architect Harry Weedon, using signature cream tiles and brickwork to create a towering Deco-based edifice. The auditorium was designed by renowned 'thirties cinema interior designers Mollo & Egan. The cinema was built on the site of Court Ash House and opened in 1937. It was later bought by Cannon Cinemas and finally closed as a cinema in 2001. It is now a furniture / bedding outlet.
An important element in the Deutsch's success was the 'Odeon Style' featured here in Yeovil, which broke away from that of the traditional theatre which had previously influenced cinema design. In addition to the distinctive lettering of the logo, Odeons embraced the modern movement and Art Deco. Foyers, auditoriums and every aspect of these cinemas were integrated into the design. Contrasting strong vertical and horizontal lines, curved corners, buff-coloured glazed tile on the facades, the use of neon lights, and contemporary interior decor made Deutsch's houses stand out from their rivals.
The black & white photos were taken in 1937 by John Maltby and are 'borrowed' from the English Heritage website.
Photographed March 2013.
Check out my Flickr photo collection of Yeovil, Somerset