Everyman Cinema – York

The cinema, which now comprises 4 screens, originally only had one screen when it was built in the 1930s. During part of a previous refurbishment, the front stalls and circle were converted into one screen, the stalls area beneath the circle was split into two screens and a further small screen was added in a room on front elevation of the building. At the time of the refurbishment, cinema soundtracks would have been completely different to how they are now, being far quieter with significantly less bass content. As a result, the existing structure wasn’t particularly well suited to provide for the high demands of modern cinema.

In order to determine the existing level of sound insulation provided by the separating walls & floors, a series of tests were conducted in the former Reel Cinema. Acoustic weaknesses were then investigated, which allowed us to outline the most effective methods of improving the level of sound insulation between screens, while being conscious of the project’s timescale constraints and the impact our proposals could have.

Through regular visits to site and close coordination with the design & construction team, we were able to ensure that the most practical solutions were implemented, minimising the impact on the project’s programme.