Disused Odeon cinema Oxford St Manchester

The Cinema Theatres Association are to apply urgently for the Paramount / Odeon Cinema on Oxford Street to be spot listed at Grade II.

It has been discovered that the interior plasterwork, thought to be lost, is actually in very good condition. A press release gives a detailed and authoritative description of the building, which appears to be even more valuable and unique than I had realised.

It is shocking that Manchester City Council would consider allowing the destruction of this precious piece of cinema history and a major architectural asset from the 20th century.

It was pioneering in its time both in its design, influenced by American picture houses, and in its size. Built at the beginning of the 30’s, the Paramount was a major statement of Manchester’s importance as a city of cinema-goers.

Can the so-called ‘original modern’ city be clueless enough to destroy one of its most original and - by the standards of the era in which it was built - most modern buildings?

See my article on the demolition of the Paramount / Odeon in the articles portfolio on the www.aidan.co.uk site.

Visit the website of the Cinema Theatre Association, which has members all over the UK and beyond.