Archibald Hurley Robinson

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Kent Street Baths (1931-33), now an empty building under the name of Kent House.
Kent Street Baths (1931-33), now an empty building under the name of Kent House.

Archibald Hurley Robinson was a prolific British architect of cinemas prior to World War II. Following World War II, the demand for new cinemas had diminished and his work focussed more on office buildings. He set up his own practice which was initially called Hurley Robinson & Sons and then renamed Hurley Robinson & Partners, which were both based in Birmingham, England.

Robinson's work on cinemas was mainly during the 1930s. His cinemas were mainly of the Art Deco style that was popularly used by Oscar Deutsch for his Odeon Cinemas. A lot of Robinson's work was commissioned in the Midlands area of England.

Hurley Robinson remodelled the Salters' Hall in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire to become a cinema in 1933. This was again altered to become a library in 1982.[1] He also designed the Ritz Cinema in Bordesley Green, Birmingham.[2] A pre-World War II work by Robinson was the Lee Longlands furniture store on Broad Street, Birmingham. This was completed in 1931, and is a rare example of a building that was not a cinema by Robinson before the war. The building was extended in 1939.[3] Another example of a pre-World War II work by Hurley Robinson is the Kent Street Baths in Birmingham which was built between 1931 and 1933. The Art Deco baths still survive, however are disused.[3]

Following World War II, the cinema business deteriorated and Robinson's work was less concentrated on this aspect of construction. In 1959, Robinson was commissioned to design an extension to a factory used by Rootes Motor Parts Limited on the Coventry Road in Birmingham.[4] Also in 1959, construction of Norfolk House on Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham was completed. The building is now locally listed. The building was originally intended to be a warehouse, however it later incorporated offices and retail units. The façade is clad in stone and there is a wavy shell concrete canopy above the street level.[5]

Cinemas designed by Robinson include:

Name Location Constructed/ Opened Closed Seats Screens Additional notes or references
Cannon Bristol Road (also known as ABC Bristol Road) Edgbaston, Birmingham May 16, 1937 May 16, 1987 1,712 3 [6]
Curzon Cinema (also known as New Empire Super Cinema) Loughborough, Leicestershire September 14, 1914 1,328 6 [7] [8]
Odeon Bilston (also known as New Wood's Picture Palace) Bilston, West Midlands November 17, 1921 February 22, 1964 1,400 1 [9]
Plaza Cinema Dudley, West Midlands May 28, 1936 October 27, 1990 1,600 2 [10]
Regal Cinema Evesham, Worcestershire October 10, 1932 May 1, 2003 945 1 [11] [12]
Winson Green Picture House (also known as Winson Green Palace) Winson Green, Birmingham 1914 March 21, 1959 1,299 1 [13]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nikolaus Pevsner; Alan Brooks (2007). Worcestershire. Yale University Press, 268. ISBN 030011298X. 
  2. ^ Library Association (1928). The Subject Index to Periodicals. Library Association. 
  3. ^ a b Andy Foster (2007). Pevsner Architectural Guides: Birmingham. Yale University Press, 153. ISBN 978-0-300-10731-0. 
  4. ^ Mechanical World and Engineering Record, page 336, issue 336, 1959, Emmott & Co. Ltd.
  5. ^ 20th Century Birmingham Buildings: 50s (pdf). Birmingham City Council. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  6. ^ Cannon Bristol Road. Cinema Treasures. Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
  7. ^ Curzon Cinema. Cinema Treasures. Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
  8. ^ Loughborough Cinemas. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  9. ^ Odeon Bilston. Cinema Treasures. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  10. ^ Plaza Cinema. Cinema Treasures. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  11. ^ Regal Cinema. Cinema Treasures. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  12. ^ The Regal Cinema is up for sale. This is Worcestershire. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  13. ^ Winson Green Picture House. Cinema Treasures. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.