Croydon Clocktower: repurposing spaces for arts use

In the early 1990s, Croydon Council's undertook a bold £30 million project which refurbished parts of the Grade II listed Town Hall and sympathetically added a large, state of the art new central library, on four floors at the back of the building. During the project's final phase, former Town Hall areas (that included its original library facilities and court rooms) were given a new lease of life as arts venues, in settings that offered a striking blend of Victorian and modern architecture. The arts complex that opened in 1995 was soon described by Time Out as "The jewel in Croydon's crown", but most cultural activity (including the David Lean Cinema) was halted in 2011, due to major cuts to the Council's arts budget.

The history of the David Lean Cinema

The tour will provide an overview of how and where the Clocktower's arts venues were created, touching upon some of the architectural challenges. There will be particular emphasis on the cinema's auditorium, projection room, arts bar and former box offices. Trailers will then be screened while small groups view the projection room. The concluding talk on the cinema's history will include it's distinctive attributes; the connection with David Lean; and notable people from the worlds of film production and exhibition who have worked for - or appeared at - the cinema. It will also include the challenges of reopening the cinema in 2014, and running it as a Community Interest Company with approximately 90 volunteers.