Curzon Mayfair - World of Interiors "Screen Saviours"

A campaign to rescue the Curzon Mayfair cinema has the support of actor Tilda Swinton and Steven Spielberg. As the off-screen battle ploughs on, the building’s architectural future hangs in the balance

The 1960s building incorporated a bigger cinema (it now has two screens), a shop, offices and flats. The crisply geometric Grade II-listed building is clad in Portland stone, and the cinema’s entrance, previously on Curzon Street, is now on Hertford Street. The building is ‘less pared-down, more classic modern’ than its 1930s counterpart, says Renato Benedetti, director of Benedetti Architects, which will be refurbishing the building if its landlord renews the lease next March. But the cinema’s future hangs in the balance: the landlord has made an alternative proposal for the site, although this is subject to Westminster Council giving it planning permission. Curzon has applied for a new lease and, if refused, a court has the power to grant a new tenancy of up to 15 years. If this gets the green light, Curzon Mayfair is committed to refurbishing the cinema without compromising its historical features. A campaign, ‘Save Curzon Mayfair’, has the support of actor Tilda Swinton and director Steven Spielberg, who in January 2023 attended the cinema to watch the UK premiere of his movie The Fabelmans.

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Article @Dominic Lutyens
Photos @Samuel Ryde