We revealed in June that the former Odeon cinema had new owners – and they had big plans for the place.
The lease for the Reel cinema in York is now owned by London-based operator Everyman Cinema. It plans to renovate the 80-year-old, Grade II listed art deco former Odeon on Blossom Street.
Now planning documents have been lodged with City of York Council giving more details about their ambitions. And they include photos of their other cinemas, revamped in a similar style.
According to its vision, original Odeon features will be reinstated and new ones added – including sofa seating.
The plans in detail
These photographs of other Everyman cinemas, submitted as part of the planning application, give us an idea of what they have in mind.
There will be an new bar and restaurant in the area which is now home to Reel’s first floor bar. And the external look of the cinema will be improved, with new doors added.
Entrance and foyer
In the entrance and foyer, glass panels will be fixed to the wall to create “walkways” to either side of new customer seating.
The existing Reel ticketing bar to the back will go and be replaced with a new, oval central ticket counter and bar alongside loose furniture for waiting customers.
And the existing false ceiling will be removed to reveal the original ceiling.
Screen 1
A new free-standing screen will be installed. Lighting, speakers and other equipment will be “discreetly located behind the screen”.
In the seating area, it will be “re-stepped” to enable the Everyman sofas to be brought in.
The four other screens
An acoustic upgrade for auditoriums two and three will “significantly enhance the viewing and audio experience at the cinema”.
New sofa seating will be installed at these and the other two screens. Redecoration and re-carpeting is also proposed throughout.
You can read the full plans on the City of York Council planning portal here.