La Scala Cinema, 8 James Street, Helensburgh, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute

Entry Name: La Scala Cinema, 8 James Street, Helensburgh

Listing Name: James Street, Former La Scala Cinema

Listing Date: 30 June 1993

Category: C

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 379164

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB34789

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200379164

Location: Helensburgh

County: Argyll and Bute

Town: Helensburgh

Electoral Ward: Helensburgh Central

Traditional County: Dunbartonshire

Tagged with: Cinema

Description

Neil C Duff, 1913. Rectangular-plan, Art Deco style former cinema now amusements arcade. Rendered and painted. Base course; margined window bays; cornice; tall stepped and coped parapet.

ENTRANCE (JAMES STREET) ELEVATION: 9 symmetrical bays. Taller bay to centre flanked by pilaster-strips with raised moulded panel as stylised capitals, broad round-headed arch springing from cornice above capitals and set in tall parapet. Modern doors to centre, canted oriel to 1st floor, ocului flanking. 3 window bays flanking, each ground floor window and smaller window at 1st floor set in long, narrow recessed, margined bays; doorway slapped into bays to right. Outer bays flanked by pilaster-strips, doorway to outer left, oculus with keystone to 1st floor, moulded panel between. Mirror image to outer right with window at ground.

Mostly timber sash and case windows with frosted glass and Art Nouveau stained glass panels.

Statement of Interest

The former La Scala building is notable for its distinctive Art Deco styling with long narrow pilasters and round-arched pediment to centre adding significant interest to the streetscape. The La Scala opened in December 1913, originally seating about 600. The auditorium was stadium in style, with narrow slips leading to the screen from the rear stalls. A tiny balcony consisted of 5 private boxes, while films were projected from the back of the stalls. The original screen was surrounded by a curved proscenium. Sound was introduced from 1930, and cinema continued largely unchanged until the early 1980s, when the building was split to create a snooker hall on a newly created upper floor, and a small cinema at the rear of the building. The cinema closed in 1984, but snooker continued until the 1990s. The building re-opened as The Logie Baird public house in 2007. The Cinema Theatre Association note that much of the original decoration to the ceiling was intact prior to the conversion to the pub, although it is currently unknown if it survives above the existing modern lowered ceiling.

References and Notes updated as part of the Cinemas Thematics Study 2007-08.

External Links

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