Edinburgh Filmhouse Image, Lothian Road Cinema Building, Architect David Bryce

Filmhouse Edinburgh : Scottish Cinema Building

Scottish Arthouse Cinema, Lothian Road

Address: 88 Lothian Rd Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH3 9BZ

Filmhouse Edinburgh Filmhouse Cinema
Filmhouse images © Adrian Welch

Filmhouse Edinburgh

Original building designed by famous Scottish architect David Bryce

Filmhouse Sean Connery – Cinema Proposal, Aug 2005

Filmhouse Edinburgh Cinema - RSA Exhibition
Filmhouse cinema image from Richard Murphy Architects

The Richard Murphy Architects Filmhouse project for Lothian Road – cinema model viewed by Sir Sean Connery:

Sean Connery Edinburgh Filmhouse Cinema
Filmhouse cinema image from Richard Murphy Architects

Edinburgh Underground Cinema – a controversial new building proposal from April 2008.

Edinburgh Filmhouse Cinema Building

The Edinburgh Filmhouse cinema opened in 1979. It was home to the world’s oldest continually running film festival, the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Sadly this super city institution closed in October 2022 when its parent body went into administration.

The building that housed this arthouse cinema was erected in 1831 as a United Presbyterian Church (later United Free Church). The structure was designed by the Scottish architect David Bryce in a Neoclassical villa style. It later became St. Thomas’s Church of Scotland.

The cinema began life when, in 1979, the disused St. Thomas Church building was converted into a 100-seat auditorium. Later this space formed cinema 2, and accessed via a side entrance on Morrison Street Lane.

The front of the building was listed and remained inaccessible until in 1985 when a new 280 seat auditorium and bar were added, and the front entrance opened. It was located on the west side of Lothian Road, sited opposite the Usher Hall, Traverse and Lyceum Theatres.

In March 2020, it was announced that the Filmhouse had plans to build a new home for the cinema on Festival Square, next to its existing premises. This was a revival of a plan* that failed to win backing in 2004. The new cinema was never built, likely due to the company’s subsequent financial troubles.

* The design was by Richard Murphy Architects and involved Sir Sean Connery backing.

Cinema contact: 0131 228 2688 – obviously this telephone number will no longer be active as the venue has since closed.

Location: 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH3 9BZ, Scotland, UK

Lothian Road Buildings

Context to the Filmhouse cinema:

Sheraton Hotel
Sheraton Edinburgh
photograph © Adrian Welch

Usher Hall
Usher Hall Edinburgh
photo : City of Edinburgh

Royal Lyceum Theatre

Traverse Theatre
Traverse Theatre Edinburgh
photograph © Adrian Welch

Sheraton Hotel Health Club

Lothian Road

Edinburgh Theatres

Edinburgh Theatre Buildings – selection below:

Cameo Cinema
Cameo Cinema

Edinburgh Festival Theatre
Festival Theatre
image © Adrian Welch
Festival Theatre

Edinburgh Playhouse
Playhouse Theatre

Scottish Capital Buildings – key selection below:

Jenners

New Town Harvey Nichols

Buildings / photos for the Edinburgh Filmhouse Architecture designed by famous Scottish architect David Bryce, with new building design proposal by Richard Murphy Architects with backing by famous Scottish actor Sir Sean Connery page welcome