- Joined
- Jan 6, 2013
- Messages
- 5,663
- Reaction score
- 11,358
1. The History:
This place is absolutely magnificent – one of the fines building I’ve ever seen I think. It’s the New Palace Theatre in Plymouth. It’s probably taken up more column-inches than any other news story in the Plymouth Herald than any other story. There’s absolutely loads about this place’s chequered history all over the internet. The disused theatre occupies a plot on Union Street, Plymouth, Devon. Originally opened in 1898 as a music hall and built in the Flemish Renaissance style, it was damaged by fire just three months after opening, and then re-opened in 1899 as the New Palace Theatre of Varieties. In 1961, in common with many old picture houses, it was converted into a bingo hall and then later reverted into a theatre and renamed The Palace Theatre. In 1983, when it became The Academy disco and finally operated as the Dance Academy in 1997, before being closed after Class A drugs were found on the premises. It has laid empty ever since. There’s a very extensive record of it all on wikipedia HERE
The recent history had been particularly controversial. When Manoucehr Bahmanzadeh acquired the building in 1997, he turned it into one of the top dance venues in the UK, attracting top DJs like Judge Jules, Lisa Lashes and Sasha. Inevitably in May 2006, after a five-month-long police operation, it was revealed that Ecstasy was regularly being dealt on the premises. The club was closed and Bahmanzadeh, resident DJ Costelloe and two other people were charged with permitting the supply of Class A drugs. In July 2008, Bahmanzadeh and Costelloe were found guilty of allowing the sale of a class A drug and were sentenced to jail terms of nine years and five years respectively. Bahmanzadeh was subsequently released from prison on bail on 13 July 2012.
Since 2006 there have been repeated calls to restore and say the iconic building. The local authority has repeatedly declined to commit any finances towards the restoration of the building. In 2015 in the South-East of England charity GO! (Great opportunities) purchased the venue on a 35 year lease off Bahmanzadeh. The charity planned to turn the empty venue into Plymouth's first ballroom while also being returned to a theatre again. Renovations started in May 2015 and were due to finish in 2018. However the charity is on the brink of quitting the project having been accused of mismanagement and a number of their contractors have complained of non-payment of monies for services rendered. Hence once again the future of this beautiful building is once again in doubt.
2. The Explore:
Or rather non-explore. No way in as the place has and is a live site with contractors working within the building, hence it was always going to be externals only and a few sneaky peeks inside. But with a façade as beautiful as this it would have been a shame not to share these pictures. And David Abel's excellent report on here from 2014 HERE will give you all you need in terms of internal shots.
3. The Pictures:
Let’s start with the nearby Grand Hotel pub, also empty:
img9351 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9354 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9357 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9358 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And onto the theatre itself:
img9374 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9360 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9362 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9363 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9346 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9368 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9371 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9343 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Sneaky peek inside:
img9365 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9372 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9369 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And more of that amazing frontage:
img9345 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9340 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9349 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9344 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9341 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9339 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9336 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img9375 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
This place is absolutely magnificent – one of the fines building I’ve ever seen I think. It’s the New Palace Theatre in Plymouth. It’s probably taken up more column-inches than any other news story in the Plymouth Herald than any other story. There’s absolutely loads about this place’s chequered history all over the internet. The disused theatre occupies a plot on Union Street, Plymouth, Devon. Originally opened in 1898 as a music hall and built in the Flemish Renaissance style, it was damaged by fire just three months after opening, and then re-opened in 1899 as the New Palace Theatre of Varieties. In 1961, in common with many old picture houses, it was converted into a bingo hall and then later reverted into a theatre and renamed The Palace Theatre. In 1983, when it became The Academy disco and finally operated as the Dance Academy in 1997, before being closed after Class A drugs were found on the premises. It has laid empty ever since. There’s a very extensive record of it all on wikipedia HERE
The recent history had been particularly controversial. When Manoucehr Bahmanzadeh acquired the building in 1997, he turned it into one of the top dance venues in the UK, attracting top DJs like Judge Jules, Lisa Lashes and Sasha. Inevitably in May 2006, after a five-month-long police operation, it was revealed that Ecstasy was regularly being dealt on the premises. The club was closed and Bahmanzadeh, resident DJ Costelloe and two other people were charged with permitting the supply of Class A drugs. In July 2008, Bahmanzadeh and Costelloe were found guilty of allowing the sale of a class A drug and were sentenced to jail terms of nine years and five years respectively. Bahmanzadeh was subsequently released from prison on bail on 13 July 2012.
Since 2006 there have been repeated calls to restore and say the iconic building. The local authority has repeatedly declined to commit any finances towards the restoration of the building. In 2015 in the South-East of England charity GO! (Great opportunities) purchased the venue on a 35 year lease off Bahmanzadeh. The charity planned to turn the empty venue into Plymouth's first ballroom while also being returned to a theatre again. Renovations started in May 2015 and were due to finish in 2018. However the charity is on the brink of quitting the project having been accused of mismanagement and a number of their contractors have complained of non-payment of monies for services rendered. Hence once again the future of this beautiful building is once again in doubt.
2. The Explore:
Or rather non-explore. No way in as the place has and is a live site with contractors working within the building, hence it was always going to be externals only and a few sneaky peeks inside. But with a façade as beautiful as this it would have been a shame not to share these pictures. And David Abel's excellent report on here from 2014 HERE will give you all you need in terms of internal shots.
3. The Pictures:
Let’s start with the nearby Grand Hotel pub, also empty:
img9351 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9354 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9357 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9358 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd onto the theatre itself:
img9374 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9360 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9362 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9363 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9346 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9368 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9371 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9343 by HughieDW, on FlickrSneaky peek inside:
img9365 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9372 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9369 by HughieDW, on FlickrAnd more of that amazing frontage:
img9345 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9340 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9349 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9344 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9341 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9339 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9336 by HughieDW, on Flickrimg9375 by HughieDW, on FlickrThanks for looking!
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