The building at 117-123 Church Road started life in 1906 as Byfeld Hall, an ‘entertainment centre’ for the Barnes community. From its early days it thrived as a local cinema under various different names,
including the Ranelagh, The Picture House (whose name can still be seen on the side of the building) and the New Vandyke.
The late 1960s, saw an end to its big screen days and the beginning of an incredible musical history. The creation of Olympic Recording Studios saw bands such as The Rolling Stones (who recorded six consecutive albums there), Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix paving the way for the hundreds of bands who have since recorded in the building, from Madonna to Oasis, with U2 becoming the last band to record there, with ‘No Line on the Horizon’ in December 2008.
The Olympic Cinema will screen a comprehensive range of quality mainstream and art house films on general release - seeing a return to the building’s roots as a local cinema; boutique in style, with an emphasis on comfort.
The late 1960s, saw an end to its big screen days and the beginning of an incredible musical history. The creation of Olympic Recording Studios saw bands such as The Rolling Stones (who recorded six consecutive albums there), Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix paving the way for the hundreds of bands who have since recorded in the building, from Madonna to Oasis, with U2 becoming the last band to record there, with ‘No Line on the Horizon’ in December 2008.
The Olympic Cinema will screen a comprehensive range of quality mainstream and art house films on general release - seeing a return to the building’s roots as a local cinema; boutique in style, with an emphasis on comfort.
We have been doing some exploratory work and these are some recent pictures
Foyer
Studio One
Bar
Bar wall, showing interiors inspiration
Foyer
Studio One
Bar
Bar wall, showing interiors inspiration
