Exclusive look inside Edinburgh Filmhouse as work underway for huge refurbishment
Edinburgh Live received an exclusive look into the Edinburgh Filmhouse as it stands vacant before its transformative refurbishment.
In 2022, the iconic cinema announced its closure in the wake of the pandemic. However, Filmhouse secured £1.5 million from the UK Government earlier this year, setting refurbishment in motion.
Ginnie Atkinson, Director of Filmhouse (Edinburgh) Ltd gave Edinburgh Live a tour around the abandoned theatre ahead of construction - which is aimed to begin in late October.
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On the critical grant award, Ginnie said: “It was invaluable and transformational. It’s enabled us to do everything we want to do. The whole place is going to get completely modernised.”
While the theatre will modernise, Filmhouse will stay true to its mission of championing film within the community, and will not be transformed into a multiplex.
Construction plans include new seating and redecorating. Seating capacity in Cinema 1 will be reduced from 450 to 350, making room for more comfortable chairs with added legroom.
Notably, the old Guild Rooms will be converted into a fourth, smaller screen, marking the first new screen to be added since 1997. The space is equipped with a break-out room and will cater to special screenings and educational events.
The bar cafe will be revamped, seeing new banquette seating and modern decor. A smaller welcome desk will be installed in the foyer, maximising cafe seating and standing space for ticket queues.
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Filmhouse Ltd hopes to begin refurbishment in later October and reopen in early March 2025. While a contractor is yet to be selected, Ginnie said that work will begin “as soon as possible,” with four to five months of work expected.
The refurbishment faces some challenges due to the venue being a listed building. It was built as a church in the 1830s until opening as a cinema nearly 150 years later in 1978.
The ornate cathedral ceilings in Cinema 1 cannot be altered, and all refurbishments must be undertaken with consideration to the building’s protected features.
Several permit applications for external alterations have also been rejected by the Council due to protections for the building’s historic facade.
However, Filmhouse still aims for construction to begin in late October and Ginnie was excited for the upcoming refurbishment.
She said: “It’s not that people just love Filmhouse, they also appreciate that it’s a cultural institution.
“Since the Filmhouse closed, people have articulated what they liked about it and what they missed. People said things like ‘they felt safe in here’.
“You could come in on your own, get a coffee, and sit for two hours if you wanted before going to a film. You could be on your own and feel safe.
“That word was used a couple of times by people. It felt like home, I felt comfortable. That was the basis we applied for the money on - that we are a place that the community values.”
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