# Futurist Theatre, Liverpool, May 2016



## Black (May 15, 2016)

opened on 16th September 1912 as the Lime street picture house,
the exterior has a ceramic tile façade
the interior has a foyer of sicillian marble walls & black & white floor tiles while the auditorium has ceiling & wall mouldings 
there was a luxurious coffee shop on the 1st floor. 
The auditorium had a seating capacity of 1029 patrons,
on 14th April 1916 the cinema became the city picture house because another cinema had the identical name.
Then in October 1920 the cinema was bought by Futurist Liverpool LTD for £167,000 & became the futurist,
the cinema was part bombed along with several shops in 1941, but rebuilt soon after.
Then in 1960 the cinema was bought by ABC for £135,000 but remained the futurist with seating capacity reduced to 870 patrons.
The cinema offically closed on 17th July 1982, being blamed on recession & the Forum across the roads 2 new screens.
Few ideas for the cinema have been put forward those inc a bar & night club, but nothing came to be.
Plans to demo the building & 2 shops were stalled due to a petition to save at least the facade,
scaffolding had been put up from street to top of facade while the buildings being made safe.
The scaffolding has since been removed, with demo now imminent.




Foyer






steps leading to 1st & 2nd floors



& from



coffee shop



Auditorium









cloak room






stage



steps & projector room






emergency exits






behind & beneath stage









above









below















Futurist cinema & buildings awaiting demo



thanks


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## HughieD (May 16, 2016)

That's one poorly cinema.


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## flyboys90 (May 16, 2016)

Beautiful facade but the inside has past it's sell by date! It will interesting to see if the frontage is saved.Smashing shots,thanks for showing.


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## Sam Haltin (May 16, 2016)

What a shame about this cinema, I can see from your inside shots that it must have been quite a place at one time. Picture 6, was that the luxurious coffee shop you mentioned in your text? I don't think I'd have a Latte there.


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## Chopper (May 16, 2016)

What a beautiful building, a real shame to see it fall into such disrepair


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## Black (May 16, 2016)

Hugh Jorgan said:


> was that the luxurious coffee shop you mentioned in your text? I don't think I'd have a Latte there.



yeah, its a mess now


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## Rubex (May 18, 2016)

Great report, lovely pics


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## Lavino (May 18, 2016)

Very nice m8ty


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