Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

33 CANMORE STREET, ALHAMBRA BINGO HALLLB25991

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
B
Date Added
13/12/1991
Local Authority
Fife
Planning Authority
Fife
Burgh
Dunfermline
NGR
NT 09331 87288
Coordinates
309331, 687288

Description

John Fraser, 1920-22. Large former theatre and cinema comprising main block containing auditorium orientated E/W and 3-storey 3-bay entrance block attached at right angles to N. Romanesque detailing, including bracketed parapet, to E (New Row) elevation of otherwise fairly plain main block. Classical N (Canmore Street) elevation with pilastered bays and curved broken-bed pediment to entrance block. Classical interior incorporating Egyptian and Art Deco details. Red brick with sandstone ashlar dressings. Sandstone ashlar base course to New Row; sandstone ashlar ground floor and eaves cornice to Canmore Street. Coped parapet with band course of bricks on end to New Row. Sandstone cills (and mostly sandstone lintels) to main block. Sandstone cills and lintels to entrance block. Coped gables.

N (CANMORE STREET) ELEVATION: triple round-arched entranceway with flat timber canopy extends across projecting 3-bay entrance block; 2-leaf glazed timber door with leaded fanlight to each opening. Bays/openings divided by giant 3-storey pilasters. Window to each bay to upper 2 floors. Corniced ashlar capitals to pilasters; entablature above forms 2nd floor lintels. Curved broken-bed Baroque pediment over capitals to central bay; raised panel at centre; stepped parapet above. Adjoins separate 2-storey buildings to either side. Main block set back.

E ELEVATION: 5-storey end wall of main block; slightly canted to right of centre. 7 slightly projecting bays with bracketed parapet; gabled jettied double-height bay to top floor; window to top floor to each of 3 flanking bays; all linked by cill band; lower floors more sparsely fenestrated. Narrow blank bays with lower-height parapet set back to either side. 2-storey canted projecting 3-bay section to outer left; entrances to left of centre and (inscribed 'PIT EXIT') to outer right. Gabled bay set back to outer right; upper 3 floors set back within flanking strip pilasters; slightly projecting segmental-headed entrance with replacement timber door at ground floor; brick lattice patterning above; Edward VII postbox to left.

W ELEVATION: blank end wall to main block; lean-to at ground level. Cented wall to left return. Side wall of entrance block set back to left.

S ELEVATION: side wall of main block. Slightly taller gable-ended sections to either side. Sparsely fenestrated; row of 3 windows to 3rd floor of left gable-ended section; opening at gable. 2-light mullion windows elsewhere. Rubble walls of earlier structure project at ground/1st floor level to left section.

Mostly multi-pane casements and fixed frame windows to main block; diamond-pane leaded casements to mullioned windows to S; PVCU replacement windows to upper floor of N elevation of entrance block. Grey slate roofs. Flanking coped mid-pitch wallhead stacks to either side (E and W) of entrance block; one (later) set back to main block. Square-plan louvred ventilation tower to central ridge of main block.

INTERIOR: decorative internal scheme and layout largely intact, including decorative plasterwork incorporating Egyptian, classical and Art Deco motifs. Entrance vestibule with flanking ticket-offices contained within quadrant angles; windows with lugged pilastered architraves. Recessed entranceway into foyer beneath arch with flanking Egyptian columns. Identical arch and columns in foyer. Flanking staircases to upper foyer. Segmental-headed proscenium arch to auditorium with decorative plaster surround and flanking columns; clock in circular festooned surround to either side. Seating removed from ground floor but intact to deep curved gallery with circular light fittings along parapet. Gallery adjoins 2-tier semicircular boxes with flanking pilasters and open-topped semicircular pediments at either end. Decorative frieze and recessed ceiling to auditorium. Panelled plaster dados and panelled timber doors throughout. Panelling to stairs/upper foyer grained to imitate timber; original balustrade and fixed ashtrays. Stage area retains some original stage machinery (see NOTES).

Statement of Special Interest

Of significance primarily on account of surviving internal decoration. Original auditorium colour scheme described in Dunfermline Press: blue to dado, red above, with silver and gold columns and ceiling. Stage originally with wide fly gallery from which stage scenery was worked, and a scene-painting loft, unusual for a cinema/theatre of this date.

References

Bibliography

DUNFERMLINE PRESS, 22 July 1922; Dean of Guild Records (minor alterations 1949 and 1950), Dunfermline Council; John Gifford, FIFE, in the 'Buildings of Scotland' series (1988) p195; Bert McEwan, DUNFERMLINE - OUR HERITAGE (1998) p20.

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 28/03/2024 21:47