Odeon Cinema Sutton Coldfield
Streamline ‘Moderne’ architecture has a very unique style that evolved out of the Art Deco movement. In this style of architecture there are 3 main characteristics that were focused on, the architects emphasized long horizontal lines, nautical themes and curving forms while experimenting with new materials such as aluminum, steel and curved glass. These characteristics make buildings from this time period are easily recognizable and a well-known example is Odeon Cinema in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. Prior to World War 1 the Odeon Cinema chain owned 250 cinemas nationwide, but the owner of the company Oscar Deutsh wanted to expand his empire.
Oscar Deutsh in 1934 commissioned two architects, Harry Weedon and Cecil Clavering to design the cinema. The cinema was built between 1935-36 and had an interesting style that consisted of a huge pillar erected at the front of the building with large bold letters spelling out the word Cinema spread across it. To the north of it is a two story curved foyer with curved glass doors. Then dissecting this is a curving section of a building that split the foyer with the projection wing, long horizontal lines of green colored tiles run across the front of the building. Figure 1 below is of the Odeon Cinema in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham and it shows all these features that I have described.
(Figure 1 Odeon Cinema Sutton Coldfield)
At this point in time Streamline ‘Moderne’ architecture had not really been seen much in Britain, but the style the architects had created for the building brought Streamline ‘Moderne’ architecture across the pond from American to city’s and towns of Britain. The style of the cinema was so well received that it was used by the designers in every other cinema that they went on to create and it became the in house style for the Odeon Cinema chain. Other Odeon Cinema’s that can be seen to have used the same style include Odeon Cinema Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Another example is the Odeon Cinema Scarborough. Figure 2 and Figure 3 show what the interesting style of architecture on the Odeon Cinema Harrogate and the Odeon Cinema Scarborough.
(Figure 2 Odeon Cinema Harrogate) (Figure 3 Odeon Cinema Harrogate)
Streamline 