One of the best of the local amenities in Stepney is the Genesis Cinema, a building with a long history, stretching back to when there was a music hall at the back of a pub in the 1840s. In the 1880s, after a fire, it was reconstructed by Frank Matcham, architect of the Hackney Empire, and re-opened in May 1885 as the Paragon Theatre of Varieties.
In 1938, it was again rebuilt as the Empire Cinema, with additional entertainment provided by the Kray Twins in their club, the Kentucky, across the road:-
Here is the interior as it was in the 1970s, now Screen 1:-
In 1998, it was bought by Tyrone Walker-Hebborn and turned into Genesis, a wonderful independent cinema – for a long time the host of the Tower Hamlets Film Festival.
Now we have just discovered that it is subject to a planning application. It is going to be demolished and the site used for ‘student accommodation’:-
A cinema is planned in the basement, but hardly the five stately screens there are currently.
The big problem, apart from the loss of the cinemas, is the damage it will do to the charming and atmospheric Bellevue Place, tucked in behind it.
They said there would be a cinema in the big new development next to the London Hospital. It makes it easier to get planning permission, but then during construction the plans change.
You can write and object to:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
I’m strangely upset by this. It’s where I did much of my teenage dating when it was the ABC. My dad used to be able to get cheap tickets for it (through his work as the burglar alarm mechanic for much of Whitechapel) so we were there a lot. Here in Stratford we are still mourning the loss of our local Picturehouse Cinema. With our free over 60s travel it’s not too difficult to get to the Barbican or the Garden Cinema but it’s not the same as being able to stroll over to a very local amenity.
Yes, I think lots of people will feel this way. It’s been great. Charles
This is amazing – thank you SO MUCH!!
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I’ve just noticed that it is the same architects as are delivering new student accomodation pretty much at the bottom of our road. That’s a massive development shoe-horned on to what was previously a Jewson’s builders merchants. I like having students around the place but I do wonder just how many more student developments are needed.
This is a huge blow for Stepney, coming as it does on the back of plans for the Anchor Brewery Yard site (Asda, Curry’s, etc) and Anchor Terrace on Cephas Avenue for a number of large blocks of yet more student accommodation. (Architects, AHMM)
The sites meet at the back, so I smell an opportunistic bigger plan at play here.
Do you have a link to the plans for Anchor Yard ? I assumed it was ripe for redevelopment too. Charles
This LinkedIn post from a chap at Savills has a brochure attached, showing current and proposed.
I hope the link works:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alex-soskin-825b8622_anchor-retail-park-mile-end-brochure-activity-7237029620968034304-wEXE
Do you have a link for the proposed development next to the London Hospital? I didn’t know about that
The council has rejected the plans for the Genesis redevelopment, although the cinema owners are suggesting that this will mean the end for the cinema.
https://towerhamletsslice.co.uk/whitechapel/councillors-reject-genesis-cinema-demolition-development/
Meanwhile here in Stratford there was a short period when it looked as if the purpose buillt Stratford Picturehouse was going to re-open as a branch of the Prince Charles Cinema. However the council got a more lucrative offer from a soft play company and have, disappointingly, gone with this instead.