The Art Deco styled building was opened in 1936 as the Regal cinema for Associated British Cinemas, designed by prolific cinema architect William Riddell Glen and was a triumph amongst the Salisbury community, with a whopping 1,608 seats. Sadly the huge petition to save it was lost and the doors closed in 1969 to a full house watching Steve McQueen in “Bullet”. It was then controversially converted to bingo, until full closure in 2018.
The journey with Everyman began in 2018 with a shared vision that the old Regal could be brought back and given a new lease of life for Salisbury to once again cherish . Taking on a building of this size, age and condition is no easy task. Following a 6 month strip out period to remove the debris, decay, asbestos, moth eaten seats, bingo tables, pigeons and hundreds of metres of patterned carpets, there was very little to salvage. Work then began to restore some love and life back in.
Our overall approach was to create a new vision of what the cinema could have been, adding features that would enhance the experience and better the original design. Whilst we knew we would lose the drama of scale given from a single screen, we could put something equally impressive back in. So, in the heart of the building, the main auditorium has all the drama of classic auditorium. It’s volume is balanced out by an enveloping warmth of red velvet seats and curtains with touches of antique gold and a deco inspired “race track” motif on the side walls. All overlooked by an image of Ralph Fiennes on the rear wall, hopefully approving of what his local childhood cinema has become.
The journey through the building delivers many surprises and some stunning spaces, starting with the double height entrance foyer with the existing hand railings and ceiling coffer at the upper level the only remaining art deco feature of any merit. Through a small opening off the main space is the snug, with a vista down Endless St and lined with velvet curtains and shagpile carpets. It couldn’t be further from its previous incarnation as a barber shop.
The main bar is layered with texture, balanced colour & patterned fabrics and walls lined in varying styles of rich timber adorned with some classic cinema posters and an image of Helena Bonham Carter that could have inspired Renaissance painters. A small servery hatch tucked around the corner reveals the Spielburger kitchen serving Everyman’s signature food of burgers & pizzas.
A further 3 auditoriums are spread throughout the building giving a broad range of viewing experiences both in scale and design.