The London Hippodrome renovation project
We have been commissioned to restore the magnificent plaster work at The London Hippodrome, built in 1900 for Moss Empires Ltd by the famous theatre architect Frank Matcham.
When first built, the impressive auditorium was designed for circus and variety performances. In 1909, Matcham rebuilt it as a music hall and variety theatre to seat 1,340 people. In 1958, the interior was demolished and converted into a cabaret restaurant, ‘Talk of the Town’ which eventually closed in 1982.
In 1983 The Hippodrome was opened as a nightclub by Peter Stringfellow and after a change of ownership, finally closed in 2005.
Now the The Hippodrome is currently undergoing an extensive restoration programme taking it back to Matcham’s original designs for use as a casino.
The major challenge presented to Locker & Riley was that very little of the original plasterwork remained. After extensive research of old photographs and historic information, our ‘in house’ design team redesigned and re-sculpted the key plaster features including those of the elaborate Proscenium arch and the ornate balcony fronts in the spirit of Frank Matcham’s original intent.
The restoration is due for completion in April 2012 when this prestigious building will reopen as “The Hippodrome Casino London”. Visit us on stand F184 at Decorex International 2011 for a preview of the incredible work being created for the London Hippodrome.