Basic Site Details Name: | Capitol Cinema | City or county: | Aberdeen | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | | Grid ref: | | Notes: | This replaced the Electric Theatre at 431 Union Street which was reconstructed in 1927 -see separate entry.
It is learnt that plans have been passed to enlarge the Electric Theatre, Union-street, Aberdeen to seat 2,300. The proprietors are Aberdeen Picture Palaces Limited, 2 West Craibstone-street, Aberdeen [Builder 18 December 1931, p1021]
Messrs A Marshall MacKenzie, Son and Clement George, architects, 173a Union Street, Aberdeen, have prepared plans for a new 2,200 capacity super cinema to cost about £80,000 for Aberdeen Picture Palaces Limited on the site of their existing electric theatre in Union-street. [Builder 10 July 1931, p76]
Mr S B Russell, Affleck-street, Aberdeen, has obtained the contract for building work in connection with the reconstruction of the Electric Theatre, Union-street for Aberdeen Picture Palaces Limited. Other sub-contracts have been placed locally. Plans have been prepared by Messrs A Marshall Mackenzie FRIBA and Company, 173 Union-street, Aberdeen. [Builder 7 October 1932 Page 615] | Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Cinema | | |
Street AddressesThe following street addresses are associated with this building: | | Address | Main entrance? | Notes | | 429, 431, 433, 441, 442, Union Street | Yes | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1927 | | | Proposal to convert Electric Theatre into Capitol Cinema | | 10 July 1931 | | Plans prepared, construction not yet begun | | | 1932 | 1934 | Build/construction | | | 2003 | | Alteration/conversion | Interior divided |
PeopleDesign and ConstructionClientsThe following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | | Name | Notes | | Aberdeen Picture Palaces Ltd | 1931 work | | Donald, J F | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Morgan, Diane | 2008 | The Granite Mile: the story of Aberdeen's Union Street | | Black & White Publishing, Edinburgh (in collaboration with Evening Express, Aberdeen) | pp 169-70 | | RSA | 1933 | | | | 544, 558. 559 | | Sharples, J, Walker, D W and Woodworth, M | 2015 | The Buildings of Scotland: Aberdeenshire South and Aberdeen | | London and New Haven: Yale University Press | p170 | | Thomson, Michael | | Silver screen in the silver city | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | Early 1927 | CXXII | | p627 | | Builder | 10 July 1931 | | | p76 | | Builder | 18 December 1931 | | | p1021 | | Builder | 7 October 1932 | | | p615 | | Builder | 9 June 1933 | CXLIV | | pp924, 929-930 Illustrations - p929 Photograph of entrance front (RSA exhibition 1933), ground floor plan, p930 interior photograph of auditorium. |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | Courtesy of Neil Darlington | Information sent via DSA website | | Sent June 2009 | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 20547 | | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | John Gibb Marr: F no3158 (box 18) |
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