Former ABC Cinema, Streatham High Road

Image: © Stephen Richards Taken: Unknown

This facade and the foyer behind are all that remain of the cinema, which closed in 2000 with the auditorium demolished in 2004 and flats built behind the facade. The cinema was designed by ABC's architect, William Riddell Glen, and built in 1938 as the Regal. The facade and foyer are Grade II listed. The citation comments that "this is a particularly striking survival for the quality of its facade, and especially of its double-height foyer which survives almost unaltered." Though in good condition it is on English Heritage's Heritage at Risk Register because no alternative use has been identified. It is within the Streatham High Road and Streatham Hill Conservation Area. The course of Streatham High Road has been a major highway between London and Sussex since Roman times. Its current appearance is largely attributable to two major spells of development. The first was during the late C19th following the opening of Streatham Hill station in 1856, and the second was after 1911 when the line to Victoria was electrified. Though much-maligned and undoubtedly blighted by heavy traffic, closer examination reveals that the road is lined with a number of interesting buildings, some of which reflect the period between the wars when Streatham was a fashionable centre of entertainment. Information from Lambeth Council (http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/NR/exeres/CE4B5CE1-0387-40ED-B5A9-273A5160C34A.htm ).

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