Skye firm to designLT new Fort cinema
A Skye-based architect’s firm has been appointed to design the new cinema in Fort William with a proposed opening date of summer 2020.
Dualchas Architects will design a new two-screen cinema building, incorporating a café bar, in the heart of the town in Cameron Square.
The cinema project has been developed by Moidart entrepreneur Angus MacDonald, who bought the former Studio Cinemas, currently used by retailer DV8, last month with a plan to demolish the current building and replace it with a state-of-the-art cinema.
Mr MacDonald said: ‘We are delighted to have appointed Dualchas as architects.
‘Their reputation in selecting fantastic local building materials and their contemporary twist on Highland traditional building styles was very appealing to us. They have already produced a beautiful design concept which is being developed prior to it being presented to the local community.’
Dualchas director Neil Stephen said he hoped to make Cameron Square the focal point of the town, as it once was. The current building replaced the old Fort William Town Hall, which burned down in 1975, and comprised a two-screen cinema and a tourist office.
Studio Cinemas eventually closed in 2006 and two years later the building was bought by Northern Irish fashion retailer DV8.
Mr Stephen explained that although Fort William was billed as the Outdoor Capital of the UK, indoor recreational amenities were needed.
Identical twins Alasdair and Neil Stephen founded Dualchas from a desire to help halt the population decline of the Highlands and have been spearheading what they call ‘Highland’s renaissance architecture’ for 21 years.
Having been initially inspired by traditional blackhouses of the Highlands, Dualchas Architects has won critical acclaim for its projects across Skye and the region.
The proposed opening date for the new cinema is summer 2020, with an expectation that 10 full-time equivalent jobs will be created. Initial proposals will be on public display from 11am to 7pm from Wednesday October 3 to Friday October 5 at the current building in Cameron Square. Mr MacDonald will be present to discuss all aspects of the project.