The Alhambra was an entertainment complex in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, from 1899–1903. A financial disaster, the building was bought by the Blackpool Tower Company and reopened in 1904 as the Palace. The building was demolished in 1961 to make way for

Lewis's Lewis's was a chain of British department stores that operated from 1856 to 2010. The owners of Lewis's have gone into administration many times over the years, including 1991. The first store, which opened in Liverpool city centre, became ...

department store.

Construction

The land on which the Alhambra was built was originally the site of the Prince of Wales Theatre and Baths, which had opened in 1877. The Alhambra (Blackpool) Limited company was formed, with support from local publican and former acrobat Henry Brooks. £220,000 was authorised for the build and shares in the company were offered to the general public in 1897. They sold out immediately; 3/5 of the shareholders came from Lancashire, and 1/8 from Blackpool. Against competition from

Frank Matcham Francis Matcham (22 November 1854 – 17 May 1920)Mackintosh, Iain"Matcham, Frank" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, accessed 7 July 2019 was an English architect who specialised in the design o ...

and C. J. Phipps, architects Wylson & Long of London won the design contract. The foundation stone was laid on 18 December 1897 and the building work, undertaken by Whitehead & Son of Blackpool, took two years to complete.

Architecture and features

Externally, the Alhambra's facade was designed in the French

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

style, with decorations in

Burmantofts Burmantofts is an area of 1960s high-rise housing blocks in inner-city east Leeds, West Yorkshire, England adjacent to the city centre and St. James's Hospital. It is a racially diverse area, with sizable Afro-Caribbean and Irish communities, ...

terracotta. It was a four-storey building with twin conical domes on the roof. The completed building contained three large spaces; a 3,000-seat theatre, a 3,000-capacity ballroom and a 2,000-seat circus, as well as a

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...

roof garden A roof garden is a garden on the roof of a building. Besides the decorative benefit, roof plantings may provide food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, habitats or corridors for wildlife, recreational opp ...

and restaurants. These were very similar to the facilities provided by the

Blackpool Tower Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. When it opened, Blackpool Tower was the tallest man made structure in the British Empire. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in ...

buildings. The three-tiered circus took up one side of the building and the ballroom occupied the floor above it. The four-tiered theatre was on the other side of the building. Between the circus and the theatre was a large central entrance hall with staircases leading to restaurants.

Early years

The Alhambra was opened in the middle of the 1899 season, before its construction was complete. It was immediately a financial disaster. Although it was popular with visitors, the company was unable to recoup the costs of the land and construction (£382,000), and the artistes employed. In 1900, its first full season, approximately £50,000 of share capital was written off and the Alhambra closed two years later. According to John K. Walton, the problems were due to financial mismanagement. It was the first development in Blackpool to face such financial failure.

Palace

The Blackpool Tower Company took over the Alhambra in 1904 and employed

to redesign the interior. It was reopened as the Palace in 1904 and was far more successful than its predecessor. The new building had one of the first moving staircases in the world. A cinema was added in 1911 and in 1914, an underground passage was built that connected the Palace to the Tower buildings. The Palace was demolished in 1961 to make way for

department store, which was later replaced by Woolworths.

Legacy

The building may have been demolished in 1961, but its name lives on by means of the

Palace Shield The Palace Shield is a cricket league based in Preston and surrounding districts in Lancashire, England. It recently celebrated its centenary, and is continuing to expand in size and improve in quality. There are 7 divisions in the main Saturda ...

, a league competition for cricket teams in the Blackpool, Preston, and surrounding districts of

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

. This competition, initially the Alhambra Shield was founded in 1902, becoming the Palace Shield from 1907, with the championship shield and medals being provided by the owners of the Alhambra complex.Lancashire Daily Post 24 April 1907 (British Newspaper Archive)

References

;Bibliography * * * {{Blackpool buildings Theatres in Blackpool Buildings and structures demolished in 1961 Former theatres in England