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 images © Adrian Welch
Filmhouse Edinburgh
Original building designed by famous Scottish architect David Bryce
Filmhouse Sean Connery – Cinema Proposal, Aug 2005
Filmhouse cinema image from Richard Murphy Architects
The Richard Murphy Architects Filmhouse project for Lothian Road – cinema model viewed by Sir Sean Connery:
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
photograph © Adrian Welch
Usher Hall
photo : City of Edinburgh
Traverse Theatre
photograph © Adrian Welch
Edinburgh Theatres
Edinburgh Theatre Buildings – selection below:
Cameo Cinema
Cameo Cinema
Edinburgh Festival Theatre
image © Adrian Welch
Festival Theatre
Edinburgh Playhouse
Playhouse Theatre
Scottish Capital Buildings – key selection below:
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
