Historic Bo'ness cinema set to reopen
Scotland's oldest purpose-built cinema, The Hippodrome in Bo'ness, is set to reopen on 6 April for a special community screening, following a £2.15m restoration scheme.
First opened in 1912, the A-listed building is owned by the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, which carried out the first phase of the project, and is leased to Falkirk Council. Extensive work has been carried out on both the interior and exterior of the venue, with new seating installed and the restoration of the 1926 decorative scheme. Elsewhere, the original copper dome above the manager's office has been restored and the building has been re-roofed.
New digital and 35mm projection systems have been installed, while new sound equipment and a new screen have been installed. A new kitchen and a café-bar have also been created. Designed by Linlithgow-based architect, Pollock Hammond Partnership, the initial £1.95m restoration programme was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the council through the Township Heritage Initiative.
Historic Scotland, the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Falkirk Environment Trust and the Manifold Trust also contributed towards the scheme, while a £200,000 technical revamp of the venue was funded by the council and the Scottish Arts Council. As well as being a cinema, the Hippodrome became a bingo venue during the 1960s before it stopped showing films in 1975. The building finally closed down in 1980 and was left to fall into disrepair until October 2006.
The revamp of the Hippodrome is at the heart of the My Future's in Falkirk initiative, which includes the £5m regeneration of Bo'ness and a £150m mixed-use development designed to transform the town's foreshore. Adrian Mahoney, the council's convener of environment and heritage, said: "The council has been working hard with the building's owner, the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, and a number of funders to bring this historic cinema back into use.
"The restoration process has breathed new life into the Hippodrome and made people realise what a fantastic place this is."
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
How Portugal’s biggest brewer enlisted the help of one of the country’s best known architects to turn two historic nature parks into thermal spa and nature destinations