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The Electric Cinema was the first purpose-built cinema in the city of
The Electric Cinema was the first purpose-built cinema in the city of York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, in England. It is a Grade II listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
building.
Early films were screened in various temporary locations in York, and in 1908, the New Street Wesleyan Chapel was converted into the Hippodrome Cinema. In 1911, National Electric Theatres constructed the Electric Cinema as the first purpose-built cinema in the city, lying on Fossgate
Fossgate is a street in the city centre of York, in England.
History
The street is believed to follow the line of a Roman road leading south-east out of Eboracum. Although it lay outside the Roman walls, it is known that there was a civilia ...
, in the city centre. In 1951, the cinema was renamed the Scala, but it closed in 1957.
The empty cinema was purchased by Macdonalds furniture shop, which already occupied the building next door. The shop closed in 2016, and the following year, it reopened as the Cosy Club restaurant and bar.
The oldest part of the building is the boundary wall at the rear, the base of which is mediaeval, with later additions, and was originally part of the wall of the York Carmelite Friary
York Carmelite Friary was a friary in York, North Yorkshire, England, that was established in about 1250, moved to its permanent site in 1295 and was surrendered in 1538.
The original site was on Bootham in York until 1295 when William de Vescy ...
. In front of it is a late-19th-century building, which has been fully incorporated into the main, front, part of the building, which dates from 1911. The front to Fossgate is covered in glazed tiles and faience
Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major ad ...
, and takes the form of a large arch, supported on columns. Inside, various plaster mouldings from the cinema survive, as does the decorated panelled ceiling.
References