Former Cannon Cinema

The Former Cannon Cinema, built in 1936 by William R Glen for Associated British Cinemas, is a cinema located in Northampton at Abington Square. The building features rendered concrete and brick, with a roof that is not visible behind high parapets. It occupies a corner site and has a double-height entrance hall that leads to the main auditorium, known as Screen 1, which includes stalls and a balcony. There are secondary screens installed beneath the balcony.

The facade is a stepped back design with moderne curves that are set back behind complementary curves of adjacent shops, which are not of special architectural or historic interest. The facade is divided into five bays by projecting fins and has five double doors leading to the foyer. A late 20th-century canopy is present but is not of special interest.

Inside, Screen 1 retains its original proscenium, which is ribbed in the German moderne style, with decorative vents cut at right angles. The stage includes an orchestra pit. The front stalls still have seating, although they are out of use; the area beneath the stalls has been subdivided into smaller screens behind a dropped wall, but this does not affect the overall architectural composition. The ceiling over the balcony features an elaborate sequence of steps and coves that contain lighting.

This cinema is significant as one of only two largely surviving examples of the work of W R Glen, who is recognized as Britain's most prolific cinema architect.