Building record 1433400000 - Former Odeon Cinema, Cambridge Street

Summary

Art Deco-style cinema. The Andrew Mather designed Odeon cinema at Aylesbury, opened 1937, was originally prepared for A E Abrahams with Mather's plans being approved in March 1936. As a result of this the cinema bore few of the circuit hallmarks. The rectangular frontage was faced in light stone coloured vertical panels of opaque glass with intervening strips in green of the same material (whereas in true Odeons the colour bands were horizontal) while four projecting ribs added some impact. The foyer area was spacious with a round-fronted pay box set in the centre whilst two staircases on either side lead up to the balcony. In the auditorium, which seated 1,451, there was concealed lighting from coves across the stepped-down ceiling that faced the audience. In 1973 the cinema was tripled and in 1984 it was refurbished. The cinema closed in October 1999 when a multiplex Odeon opened on Exchange Street.

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None recorded

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Type and Period (1)

CINEMA (Built 1936-1937, 20th Century - 1900 AD to 1999 AD)

Description

The Odeon, 1937 by Andrew Mather, has a small façade well-preserved above entrance level. Divided into three in 1973 (B1).
Odeon Cinema opened on 21st June 1937, remodelled in 1973 and again in 1984 and closed on 30th October 1999. The original design was not a standard Odeon type: the rectangular frontage of light-coloured stone with four projecting ribs or fins separating narrow vertical windows of opaque and green glass. In the entrance foyer, a central round-fronted box office was flanked by flights of stairs leading to the stalls and up to a balcony with access to the circle. In the auditorium concealed lighting was provided by coves running across the stepped-down ceiling. Originally with 1 screen and seating for 1, 451, in 1973 the cinema was remodelled to provide 3 screens and seating for 704. The cinema was refurbished in 1984, and closed on 30th October 1999 (B2-3).
Illustrations (B4-5).

Sources (6)

<1>SBC19664 Bibliographic reference: Nikolaus Pevsner & Elizabeth Williamson. 1994. The Buildings of England: Buckinghamshire. p164.
<2>SBC24283 Bibliographic reference: Allen Eyles. 2002. Odeon Cinemas 1: Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation.
<3>SBC24285 Digital archive: 2012. Information from the 'Cinema Treasures' website.
<4>SBC23892 Bibliographic reference: Karl Vaughan. 2002. A Century of Aylesbury: Events, People and Places Over the Last 100 Years. p123.
<5>SBC24284 Graphic material: John Maltby. 1937. Photographs from John Malby Collection held by English Heritage National Monuments Record.
<6>SBC27441 Digital archive: Historic England. National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE). HE archives BF053149 and BF114121; NBR 53149; NRHE insert 2000, update 2002.

Location

Grid reference	SP 82010 13962 (point)
Civil Parish	AYLESBURY, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire

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Record last edited

May 20 2026 12:47PM