LADYWELL PLAYTOWER OUR VISION FOR A NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD CINEMA
WHY A CINEMA? Our research has shown that there has long been a requirement in the Ladywell area for a cinema. Picturehouse cinemas in East Dulwich and Greenwich cater for current Ladywell residents, but there is an obvious gap that could be fjlled with a local neighbourhood cinema which would be far more accessible for a wider section of the local community. By creating a 5 screen cinema here in Ladywell we will be able to offer a wide variety of fjlm programming which would not be possible with fewer screens. This will mean a broader cross section of fjlm entertainment and more screening times to provide the maximum fmexibility. Picturehouse offers a wide selection of arthouse and independent fjlms, blockbuster fjlms, foreign language fjlms and documentaries along with a variety of live broadcasts from the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, National Ballet and Opera. No other cinema chain provides this range of viewing options at the affordable prices that are required for a neighbourhood cinema to serve the whole community. Memberships mean that tickets are more affordable than other arthouse cinemas, and discount clubs for mothers and babies, toddler screenings, senior members and students to name a few, make fjlms at Picturehouse accessible to all. Most importantly Picturehouse cinemas are open 7 days a week for 364 days a year, and you don’t have to be watching a fjlm to enjoy a trip to the cinema cafe or bar, many people simply while away an hour or so enjoying the social vibe with a coffee in our foyers and cafes, or using them as an informal meeting and work venue. Most importantly this will be a local neighbourhood cinema providing an active community hub for the people of Ladywell. This kind of cinema is a sustainable use for the Ladywell site with out overdevelopment or compromise to the amenity of the neighbouring buildings. PICTUREHOUSE MEMBERSHIP PROPOSED DULWICH PICTUREHOUSE BRIXTON RITZY CLAPHAM PICTUREHOUSE GREENWICH PICTUREHOUSE PROPOSED LADYWELL GREENWICH PICTUREHOUSE PICTUREHOUSE CLAPHAM 2KM WALKING DISTANCES PICTUREHOUSE SHOWN SHADED BRIXTON RITZY DULWICH PICTUREHOUSE PROPOSED LADYWELL PICTUREHOUSE
EXTERIOR We will look to conserve and enhance the fabric of the historic structure, this means restoring the glory of the facade and reinstating the conical roof of the tower. Retaining the patina of age will be important to maintaining the social and cultural heritage of the building - for example the round marks in the facade where children rubbed their pennies whilst queuing for the baths - will be retained and celebrated. The overgrown setting will be cleared and landscaped, but as many of the mature trees as possible will be retained on the site to provide visual and noise protection from the busy Ladywell Road. Open up views into and out of the tower, provide a grand New cinema cafe to open up to a new public space with Open up the front elevation windows and re-landscape entrance and staircase, restore the conical roof new extension to rear on the site of the former second pool the whole site hall
INTERIOR There are many wonderful decorative elements within the building which will be conserved and celebrated in the new cinema. The roof trusses will be retained as a visible element within the main screen, so that when you are watching a fjlm you can look up at the roof and know you are in the former Ladywell baths. The balcony will be restored to its former glory and where possible the original windows will be retained and refurbished, including the roof-light which will be lit from within. Refurbish and reuse the main pool hall to provide the Consolidate and restore the pool hall interior features Unify the tower creating a grand spiral staircase within largest of the fjve screens, and provide a dramatic viewing experience
PROPOSED REUSE OF THE PLAYTOWER The Ladywell Playtower is a wonderful piece of Civic Victorian Architecture and our proposal seeks to enhance and preserve it by fjnding a new use which will enable it to play an active part in the community for many years to come. We propose to refurbish the main building and to use the theatrical pool hall space for one large cinema screen retaining the roof trusses on view within the cinema - the remainder of the existing building will provide ancillary space with a cafe, bar, event room, exhibition space and community/ private hire rooms. To the rear of the site on the footprint of the demolished second pool hall (and sitting below the eaves of the adjacent structure) - we will construct a further four cinema screens to support the refurbishment of the historic building. Alongside this will be a thorough landscaping proposal for the whole site, providing outside seating and secure cycle storage along with a pedestrian route which will link Ladywell Fields with Ladywell Road, placing the Playtower at the heart of what could become a new cultural quarter for Ladywell. New four screen extension to the rear - with masonry exterior and living walls First fmoor infjll - new walkway around existing chimney New escape stair built to the rear Ground fmoor wall opened up to create cinema cafe which spills out to new external public terrace Conical roof reinstated to tower and new grand feature staircase Reuse the main pool hall to inserted with viewing platform create a dramatic new single at the top cinema screen, retaining the character of the exposed roof trusses within the space Windows and doors opened up in front elevation to connect new bar with an external seating area and provide views in and out of the dramatic pool hall structure Roof-light refurbished and reinstated with open-able sections above the bar space
PROPOSED GROUND FLOOR PLAN The ground fmoor of the redeveloped building will provide access to the largest screen in the main pool hall, along with front of house lobby spaces for ticketing and new vertical circulation with a lift and a grand spiral staircase in the tower. A bar at the front of the main pool hall will look out to a landscaped terrace, while the cinema cafe will spill out to a new public courtyard facing to the coroners court complex. At the rear of the building will be a new single storey extension to create 4 additional screens which will enable a wide variety of fjlm programming and fjlm times. A buggy park will be provided under the new screens to the rear along with storage for furniture, and staff facilities. The existing courtyard in the middle of the site (at the lower basement level) will be planted up to provide a courtyard garden, which will be visible from the cinema cafe and the fjrst fmoor circulation. NEW BUILD EXTENSION BEYOND THIS LINE REFURBISHED EXISTING BUILDING BELOW THIS LINE • Screen 1 • Kiosk and ticketing • Cafe open to new public courtyard • Main pool hall bar • Event space • Circulation • Lift • Grand staircase in tower • WCs/ Staff areas/ Storage
PROPOSED FIRST FLOOR PLAN The fjrst fmoor of the redeveloped building will predominantly provide community/ private hire rooms, exhibition space. The cinema managers offjce will be located at the front of the site looking out over the entrance below. The community rooms will look out to the courtyard garden and also the cinema cafe terrace. A new corridor will be built to provide access around the retained chimney which will become a focal point of the circulation through to the new screens and provide natural orientation. At the top of the tower will be a viewing platform to survey the surrounding area. NEW BUILD EXTENSION BEYOND THIS LINE REFURBISHED EXISTING BUILDING BELOW THIS LINE • Screens 2, 3, 4 & 5 • Bar balcony • Community/ Private Hire Rooms • Exhibition Space • Circulation • Lift • Grand staircase in tower • WCs/ Staff areas / Storage • Managers Offjce
PROPOSED MAIN SCREEN WITHIN THE EXISTING FIRST CLASS POOL HALL
PRECEDENT - EAST DULWICH PICTUREHOUSE & CAFE At East Dulwich Picturehouse we were able to acoustically line the ceiling of the main screen above the trusses (without removing the roof fjnish), in order for us to expose this stunning original timber structure within the screen space to tell the history of this buildings’ former use as a church hall and school. Minimal external signage is required to signal its new life as a cinema.
PRECEDENT - EAST DULWICH PICTUREHOUSE REVEALING THE BUILDINGS’ CHARACTER The existing timber from the main church hall was reused in the foyer space, which sits below Creating a triple height space at the front of the building has enabled the arched church the stepped rake of a newly constructed screen above. windows to be seen from the ground fmoor cafe and allows light to fmood the space, revealing the character of the existing brickwork above.
PROPOSED CINEMA BAR WITH VIEWS TO LADYWELL ROAD Creating a bar at the front of the main pool hall will provide a dramatic triple height social space in this grand location. Opening up the windows and doors to the front elevation will bring life into the building allowing views out and in from Ladywell Road. Restoring the roofmight will provide natural light and ventilation. The fjrst fmoor here can be used as a bar balcony, from where to view the activity below or enjoy a drink before moving into one of the 5 screens. The projection room would be clad in the Picturehouse members wall - where the fjrst 2000 members to the Ladywell Picturehouse will have their names immortalised in an art installation.
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