Author Topic: The Futurist... (Read 3150 times)

Tsar Kastik · « **on:** January 6, 2013, 12:33:32 pm »

...needs your help

http://www.change.org/petitions/save-the-facade-of-the-former-futurist-cinema-building-lime-street-liverpool

SamAteTheRedAcid · « **Reply #1 on:** January 6, 2013, 12:39:50 pm »

Signed. Lovely building, worth saving.

Tsar Kastik · « **Reply #2 on:** January 7, 2013, 09:07:53 am »

What you can't see...

The Gulleysucker · « **Reply #3 on:** January 7, 2013, 09:17:05 am »

Quote from: Tsar Kastik on January 7, 2013, 09:07:53 am

The buddleia seems to be growing well but the roots will be prising the tiles apart and probably allowing water ingress and damage.
Perhaps that's exactly what the owners want so they can claim it's beyond restoration.
Such a shame considering it survived the blitz hit on the Scala next door.

Red Beret · « **Reply #4 on:** January 7, 2013, 11:33:42 am »

Signed.

Dr. Beaker · « **Reply #5 on:** January 7, 2013, 05:00:09 pm »

Especially when you could turn it into a boozer:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/djdamien/5638348553/?q=the capitol pub forest hill

Rafette · « **Reply #6 on:** January 7, 2013, 10:53:43 pm »

The one thing this scheme may have going in its favour is that apparently it's just a shell inside- so no listed features a developer would have to work around. It would be great if this helps kick start regeneration of an area really in need of it!

Red Beret · « **Reply #7 on:** January 8, 2013, 04:32:20 pm »

Have to be careful. Illiad got away with demolishing a building in a conservation area because they trashed the facade before it could be listed.

Personally I think the Futurist would make an excellent theatre.

vicgill · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2013, 01:54:33 pm »

signed

CornerFlag · « **Reply #9 on:** March 7, 2015, 03:36:47 pm »

Fucking bullshit with what's going to happen to it, no doubt it doesn't fit in with the pissed-up toddler Lego thing they want to put up.Thing is they've never even tried.

Red Beret · « **Reply #10 on:** March 7, 2015, 06:00:57 pm »

You look at the other side of the street with all that 60s and 70s style concrete and you have to say it still looks better than what they're proposing to build. For one thing it's out of scale with the pubs on either end of the street.

gazzam1963 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 7, 2015, 06:36:53 pm »

Said it on the other thread I'd rather it was kncked down and a small green garden space was built incorporating the futurist facade as the entrance . Major cities need little oasis like that and we don't have enough . Certainly don't need a few more fast food and sun bed shops

alfonso · « **Reply #12 on:** March 9, 2015, 01:30:07 pm »

If they kept the facades of the buildings there now, it would probably be accepted. Looking at the design, apart from the building next to the crown the others look shite and way out of place with the street and other buildings there.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-mayor-joe-anderson-admits-8795230

CornerFlag · « **Reply #13 on:** March 9, 2015, 08:04:41 pm »

https://www.change.org/p/save-the-facade-of-the-former-futurist-cinema-building-lime-street-liverpool/u/9941221?tk=VOFjwTyAHKdlOFAMy_OKlUCh814uLO7R8qQtRJJw1fg&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=&utm_term=

Quote

7 Mar 2015 — Thanks to everyone for your support and commitment to Save the Futurist. Crushing news yesterday following our meeting with Liverpool City Council that their plans include full demolition of The Futurist, including it's breathtaking facade.

What makes this decision all the worse is that there has been interest from established operators who do wish to buy and develop The Futurist, keeping the integrity of the building with a fantastic bar/ restaurant/ venue and arts centre concept. We are reviewing the structural reports produced by LCC and Neptune and will update your further over coming developments. We are heartened that Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has publicly condemned the redevelopment plans as 'not very impressive and will need to be improved before approval.' Let's hope public support will Save The Futurist.

Red Beret · « **Reply #14 on:** March 9, 2015, 09:13:38 pm »

Proof - if ever it were needed - that they just want the Futurist gone. Like it was some kind of nuisance to their plans.

CornerFlag · « **Reply #15 on:** March 9, 2015, 11:45:40 pm »

Is the building listed at all? English Heritage could be used to save more of the building, surely? Liverpool's first purpose-built cinema and over 100 years old is surely something of note.

Red Beret · « **Reply #16 on:** March 10, 2015, 04:16:44 pm »

Quote from: CornerFlag on March 9, 2015, 11:45:40 pm

Is the building listed at all? English Heritage could be used to save more of the building, surely? Liverpool's first purpose-built cinema and over 100 years old is surely something of note.

Back on Sir Thomas Street there was a campaign to preserve a historical building's façade in a designated preservation area. About a week before it was due to be assessed for listing, Illiad sent a bunch of guys in and effectively destroyed the front by smashing it up, "preparatory work for demolition" they called it. There was nothing left to list after that. Illiad wanted it gone because they were building a boutique hotel and its floor levels were different to the two buildings either side.

From this:

To this:

More details of that act of vandalism can be found here

Somebody has simply decided it would be too much of a pain/too expensive to incorporate the Futurists façade into their design and just want it gone, which explains the repeated hoohaa about the building itself being derelict beyond saving. They'll be virtually nothing left of old Lime Street after this, save for the two pubs that bookend that side of the street and the empty ABC Cinema standing opposite.

Red Beret · « **Reply #17 on:** March 10, 2015, 08:42:36 pm »

Full article: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/lime-street-campaigners-carry-fighting-8805763

Campaigners fighting to save the historic Futurist cinema say they will not give up after new Lime Street regeneration plans did not include the building.

Save the Futurist say they are aware of commercial interest in the site and hoped at least the facade of the 1912 building would be saved in the £35m plans.

Disappointed only part of the cinema’s facade features in the new designs for Lime Street.

The group urged for the proposals to be reconsidered and said they would continue to fight their cause.

Design images for a new look Lime Street, revealed by the ECHO, have been widely criticised with Joe Anderson calling for them to be reviewed.

It's a crying shame that the interior is probably beyond saving but even in its derelict state you can see it still has character and soul.

The Gulleysucker · « **Reply #18 on:** March 11, 2015, 12:12:02 am »

Quote from: Red Beret on March 10, 2015, 08:42:36 pm

My fears expressed at the top of this thread when it started seem to possibly be accurate..

The buddleia seems to be growing well but the roots will be prising the tiles apart and probably allowing water ingress and damage.
Perhaps that's exactly what the owners want so they can claim it's beyond restoration.

It's deliberate and almost criminal neglect of our architectural heritage to enable someone to make a fast profit, though that's nothing new as far as Liverpool is concerned.

Red Beret · « **Reply #19 on:** March 11, 2015, 10:16:02 am »

Quote from: Rhi on March 11, 2015, 02:45:13 am

Who owns it? What that building "deserves" is for someone like Everyman to buy it and turn it into a special "one off" type specialty cinema. I know we have FACT, but this place could be - should be - iconic. A "Screen on the Green" type place (Islington, London).

Also like the idea of having the facade as the entrance to some green space if the inside is truly beyond repair. We should crowdsource this thing.

I'd be happy to just retain the facade with it becoming a decent bar or a hotel. I'd love it to be a cinema/theatre with a restaurant. Most of the moaning seems to be coming from the expense and inconvenience of preserving it; closing one lane of Lime Street for the necessary heavy duty support scaffolding. Yet this was common site when Liverpool One was being built and Hanover Street has been closed more times than my ex gf's legs so it really does come across as those in charge whining and just wanting it gone.