I love film making and I love cinemas so this was the perfect commission…
The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality and are supported by the Scottish Government.
The winner of the My Place Awards 2021 is Montrose Playhouse!
The Montrose Playhouse project began in 2012 after a new swimming facility was built in Montrose, causing local people to wonder what would become of the old pool hall. David Paton, associate Director at Crawford Architecture and eventual Chair of Montrose Playhouse Project SCIO, posted his thoughts online about how the building could be re-imagined as a cinema. Within a few hours, 500 people had liked the post and urged for the designs to become a reality. Within a week, the Montrose Playhouse Project was born.
In 2017, the Montrose Playhouse Project SCIO committee purchased the disused building from Angus Council for £1. They then held a community event to strip the building back to a shell, engaging over 80 volunteers and saving the project around £250,000 and six months of time. Construction began in 2021, and over ten months, the former pool hall was converted into three screening rooms with a combined capacity of just under 400 people. The Playhouse also features education and exhibition facilities, retail space and a cafe bar.
Learn more about the My Place Awards at myplacescotland.org.uk.
ClientScottish Civic TrustServicesFilm Production