Basic Site Details Name: | Green's Playhouse | City or county: | Dundee | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | B listed | Grid ref: | | Notes: | Now largely refurbrished after a fire. Restored by Cooper Cromar 1996-97.
Messrs George Green Ltd of Glasgow propose a new cinema to accommodate 4,000 on a site in the town. It is understood that Mr John Fairweather 182 Trongate, Glasgow is the architect.[Builder 11 January 1935 Page 122]
Contracts for the cinema in Nethergate to seat 4,200 persons for the George Green circuit, the Playhouse, Glasgow, are placed as follows: builder, Cowiesons, steelwork, Redpath Brown and Company; Reinforced concrete, Carmyle Concrete Company Limited, 2347 London-road, Glasgow, plumbing, electrical and firnishings, George Green and Company, 182 Trongate. Plans by Mr John Fairweather FRIBA 182 Trongate, Glasgow. [Builder 7 June 1935 Page 1089]
| Alternative NamesThe following alternative names are associated with this building/design: | | Name | Current name? | Notes | | Mecca Playhouse | Yes | |
Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Theatre | | |
Street AddressesThe following street addresses are associated with this building: | | Address | Main entrance? | Notes | | 106, Nethergate | Yes | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | November 1934 | | Plans prepared, construction not yet begun | | | 1935 | 1936 | Build/construction | | | 1970 | | Alterations and additions | Steel advertisement tower above north facade clad in sheet metal | | 1988 | | Rehabilitation | £800,000 refurbishment | | 1995 | | | Fire destroyed everything but advertising tower. Completely rebuit for bingo, with advertising tower refurbished and stripped of 1970 cladding. Category of listing changed from A to B (only the tower is listed). | | 1996 | 1997 | Reconstruction | |
PeopleDesign and ConstructionClientsThe following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | | Name | Notes | | Green, George | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Gifford, John | 2012 | The Buildings of Scotland: Angus and Dundee | | Yale | p118 | | Gray, Richard | 1996 | Cinemas in Britain | | London: Lund Humphries | p113-4 | | Kenna, Rudolph | 1987 | Scotland in the Thirties | | Glasgow: Richard Drew Publishing | | | McBain, Janet | 1985 | Pictures Past | | Edinburgh: Moorfoot Publishing | | | McKean, Charles | 1987 | The Scottish Thirties: An Architectural Introduction | | Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press | p67 | | McKean, Charles and Whatley, Patricia | 2008 | Lost Dundee: Dundee's lost architectural heritage | | Birlinn, Edinburgh | pp 197-9 - interiors illustrated | | Naulty, Denis Michael | 2004 | Dundee Cinemas | | Dundee Civic Trust | | | RCAHMS | 1992 | Dundee on Record | | RCAHMS | Image of the front elevation (1989) p57 | | www.scottishcinemas.org.uk | | www.scottishcinemas.org.uk | | Scottish Cinemas website and database | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 14 December 1934 | | | p1049 | | Builder | 11 January 1935 | | | p122 | | Builder | 7 June 1935 | | | p1089 | | Dundee Courier and Advertiser | 28 August 1995 | | | | | Scotland on Sunday | 3 December 1995 | | | 'Faulty towers beside the Tay' |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | Courtesy of Neil Darlington | Information sent via DSA website | | Sent June 2009 | | Dundee Planning Department/NMRS | Dundee Approved Duplicate Plans (Originals in NMRS for dates 1867-1883; otherwise on microfilm) | | | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 25437 | |
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