Located in Marlborough, Wiltshire, is the new Parade Cinema, an old chapel conversion which was originally built in 1817. The Listed building was previously occupied by an old antiques hall, and after going through extensive renovations for a number of months, the cinema finally had its grand opening on the 18th of September 2021. Involving the local community, this entertainment venue opened with £1.5 million raised in shares and fundraising towards a £3 million project. It’s also open seven days a week, employs 17 staff, and in the past year, has served 1.8 tonnes of popcorn, poured 19,600 glasses of wine, brewed 38,000 cups of coffee, and shown 583 films.
Coined ‘Marlborough's first independent cinema’ for 50 years, the venue features a state-of-the-art single-screen auditorium with 106 seats. It’s also equipped with full surround sound and laser projection, plus luxurious armchair-style seating. The original Manse next door has already been converted into a bar and café with a seating area and a place to socialise. In time, this elegant late Georgian building also has the potential to be converted into a 48-seat restaurant serving fresh, seasonal and delicious cuisine.
At FILA, we worked with Hiscox Parlade, the architect for the site, to advise how to treat the new internal terracotta tiles and the existing natural stone. For the terracotta, PRW200 was used as a pre-grouting protector, and upon initial cleaning with CLEANER PRO, the tiles were sealed with WET ECO to prevent the absorption of stains and facilitate dirt removal. For the existing York stone, again, CLEANER PRO was used and then treated with FILA’s sealer MP90 ECO XTREME. For both the terracotta and stone, ordinary maintenance is a must, and CLEANER PRO will remove dirt and dust residues.
We’d also like to say a special thank you to the main contractors involved, and these are as follows:
- Jaime Parlade - Hiscox Parlade (architect)
- Nigel Carder - NJC Tiling Ltd (tiler)
- James Lavis - Acorn Construction (office manager)
- Dougie - Acorn Construction (site foreman)
- Tony Kindell - Aldershaw Handmade Tiles Ltd (the terracotta brick tiles)
All images are with thanks to Victoria Tapper Photography