Built in 1930, Bradford Odeon was once one of the country’s largest cinemas. With its grand auditorium, ballroom, cabaret bar and restaurant, it quickly became a cultural landmark for Bradford, welcoming stars including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Subdivided in the 1960s, closed in 2000 and slated for demolition, the building stood derelict for nearly two decades before being revived as Bradford Live – a 3,800-capacity music and events venue.
Understanding the structure
When we first entered, as Andy Toohey, Partner at Price & Myers describes, the building was “excitingly derelict” – water-damaged, structurally uncertain, and having suffered brutal alterations. Our task was to understand exactly what remained of the 1930s structure and what damage the later alterations and the period of neglect had wrought. A 3D point cloud survey proved essential in mapping the many large inaccessible voids and building up a complete picture of the fabric.
Revealing the auditorium
Once we understood what we were dealing with, the 1960s insertions could be surgically removed, revealing the grandeur of the original auditorium for the first time in fifty years. Much of the ornate plasterwork had been lost, so the structure itself became central to the architecture: exposed brick walls, rivetted steelwork and new structural elements celebrated rather than concealed.
Engineering challenges
A particular challenge was the roof. Major thermal and acoustic improvements were required, adding significant weight to the existing riveted trusses. As Andrew Toohey explains: “We’ve added quite a lot of material onto the roof to get it functioning well enough acoustically and thermally, so quite a lot of extra weight has been added. We had to back-calculate through everything, literally through every rivet.”
Elsewhere, the original hollow precast concrete and timber plank floor – rotted beyond repair – was replaced with thin lightweight concrete on steel decking to mimic the original dead load. The missing section of balcony was reinstated and strengthened to meet modern vibration standards, while iron beams spanning the Bradford Beck were repaired where deterioration had set in.
Light-touch renewal
Investigations, repairs and new works were all carried out with restraint, in line with the engneering principle of “doing no more than necessary.” The result is a venue that is both robust and atmospheric, retaining the spirit of a building that has been at the heart of Bradford’s cultural life for almost a century.
The project today
Bradford Live opened its doors in Summer 2025 with a full programme of music, comedy and live events. The project has not only restored an iconic building in the city centre but also created a much-needed venue between Leeds and Manchester. Its successful completion is the outcome of years of determination from local campaigners, combined with the collaboration of architects, engineers and specialists working to bring the structure back to life.
