127 Dunstable Road

The building at 127 Dunstable Road is a double-height auditorium constructed in the mid-20th century, likely the 1930s based on stylistic cues, with additional office space over three floors. It demonstrates group value as a significant example of a Modern Movement entertainment building.

The steel frame is clad in brick, with an entrance facade of opaque glass panels and a rendered section. The street facade presents a stark and confident composition. The auditorium's long side wall is brick, divided into nine bays by pilasters, running parallel to the street. Above the entrance is a recessed three-storey section with opaque cream glass panels and five square windows on the second floor. A rendered section turns the corner of the return wall, featuring horizontal windows on all three floors. A fin tower, originally displaying a neon letter '0' and now topped with a Latin cross, rises between the recessed section and the auditorium wall, with its flat roof projecting over the street. The return wall is also rendered and has three small staircase windows. Later 20th-century additions include the entrance doors and illuminated fascia canopy.

Inside the entrance, six steps lead to a deep foyer with three sets of original moderne-style handrails. The foyer has double doors to the auditorium stalls and three saucer-dome lighting features. An imperial stair leads to an upper foyer with original chromium handles and finger plates on the doors that access the auditorium balcony. The auditorium itself is large, originally seating 1,958. It features dramatic curved lighting coves in the ceiling above the proscenium, developing into reverse curves. Narrow horizontal banding in fibrous plaster, with ventilation openings, flanks the proscenium, leading to broader banding and five circular plaster features on each side. Saucer domes with concentric plaster rings and pendants, originally with uplighters, are integrated into the first ceiling cove. Honeycomb ventilation panels are featured in the second ceiling cove, and a central tongue of fibrous plaster has further concentric ringed saucer domes. Vomitory stairs provide balcony access, with vestigial saucer domes and curving flutings for ventilation on the soffit. Honeycomb ventilator panels are present in the balcony ceiling, alongside original barriers at the crossover gangway and rear. The auditorium’s seating was later altered when it was used as a bingo hall.