Cinema vision will be brought to life
Architects appointed for arts plan
Paisley’s new £40 million cinema and theatre plan is in the hands of one of the architects behind the Falkirk Wheel and Tron Theatre.
The firm – Stallan Brand – has been charged with creating the vision for the exciting new facility, including its location.
The move is a huge step in the right direction for the project, with the first pictures of what it might look light expected to be made public this summer.
Paisley Community Trust, the group behind the plan, insists that community support is vital if the dream is to become a reality.
The 500-seater theatre and picture house is the brainchild of businessman Gary Kerr, computer games entrepreneur Andy Campbell and David Wallace, from PACE Youth Theatre.
Their plan also includes a restaurant, cafe bar and educational hub.
Gary explained that Stallan Brand was appointed following a formal application process to create the concept.
He said: “They looked at the feasibility brief and looked at options for where the site could be.
“We had to go through a process and not just go with the one we liked the best.
“We’re potentially looking for government or National Lottery funding, so we need to make sure we follow the process.
“Stallan Brand came out best in the scoring process.
“One of the things which stood out for us, one of the big things we want to achieve is, it’s not a box. It’s not something soulless. We want it to be unique, special and magnificent and leave behind a legacy and Stallan Brand recognised that.”
Gary was staying tight-lipped about the locations they’re looking at for the project to make sure Stallan Brand’s vision is right for the site.
He explained: “We’ve got a preferred site but we don’t want to be interfering in the process, or saying it needs to be in a certain location and they need to make it fit.
“We’ll see what they come up with and take it from there.”
Gary hopes there will be some architects drawings to share in a couple of months.
He said: “A picture tells a thousand words. Once we have an architects impression to share, we’ll do that.
“We want everyone’s support to get behind us and deliver this for Paisley and it will be magnificent.”
Fellow trustee Andy Campbell said: “This is a big community project and we want to make sure everyone is as informed and involved as they can be to make sure it’s a success.”