Carlton Cinema, Essex Road facts for kids
The Carlton Cinema building in London has a long and interesting history! It's a special building known for its amazing Art deco style. It first opened its doors in 1930 as a big cinema and theatre.
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The Carlton Cinema: A Look Back
This famous building is located at 161–169 Essex Road in Islington, London. When it was built in 1930, it was a huge place for movies and live shows. It could hold over 2,200 people! Today, it's recognized as a Grade II* listed building, which means it's very important and protected because of its history and unique design.
Amazing Architecture and Design
The architect, George Coles, designed the outside of the cinema to look like an ancient Egyptian temple. He used colorful tiles to create this look. This Egyptian style was very popular back then. It was inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.
Inside, the building has a mix of styles. The main entrance area, called the foyer, has Egyptian decorations. But the large room where people watched movies, the auditorium, looks more like a French palace!
From Cinema to Bingo Hall
In 1935, a big cinema company called Associated British Cinemas Ltd. (ABC) took over the Carlton. They changed its name to ABC in 1962. Many kids from that time remember going to "Saturday morning pictures" there. This was a special time for younger audiences to watch movies.
Later, the building changed again. It became a bingo hall called the Mecca Bingo Club. It stayed a bingo hall for almost 35 years, until it closed in 2007.
A New Chapter: Gracepoint
In 2013, a church group called Resurrection Manifestations bought the building. They wanted to use it as a church but also open a cinema again. In 2015, it reopened as Gracepoint. It's now a large venue that can hold 900 people. It's used for church services and can also be rented for other events.
On Screen: The Carlton Cinema in TV
The outside and the foyer of the building have even appeared on television! They were used as the "Roxy Cinema" in an episode of the TV show Endeavour. This was in episode 2 of series 5, called Cartouche.
