The Hippodrome, Hope Street, Bo'Ness

Matthew Steele, 1911; roof rebuilt 1926; ticket office added by John Taylor, 1936. Early Modern Movement 2-stage circular hippodrome with basement, shallow-domed roof and clasping single, 2- and 3-storey flat-roofed, pavilions. Harl over stone (auditorium) and brick with rendered details. Rock-faced rubble base course, cill courses, tall set-back parapet-effect with pronounced clasping blocks.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: dominant circular auditorium to centre, with 2 small openings to 1st stage flanking almost full-height advanced panel (blocked at 1st stage) with stepped cornice and 2 small windows at 2nd stage giving way to further cornice and parapet-effect, with shallow polygonal roof behind. Tall pavilion clasping at left with deep-set 2-leaf 6-panelled timber door, further door to right and window beyond, broad Crittal window at 1st floor flanked by similar narrow lights surmounted by sign 'HIPPODROME' and small dome to left. Further tall pavilion to right with single door, and low projection in re-entrant angle to left, with wide-centre bipartite window and further narrow light.

NE (HAMILTON LAND) ELEVATION: dominant 3-storey pavilion elevation (housing projection room) with variety of openings and broad bowed cantilevered canopy over ground centre and right rising into bowed 1st and 2nd floors with lower bay to outer right.

SE (REAR) ELEVATION: variety of openings to circular auditorium at left and 2-stage advanced panel at right with polygonal timber structure on roof abutting taller outer right bay.

Windows mostly blocked, but those to 1936 ticket office extension with Crittal windows, those to NE bowed. Modern felt-type roofing materials.

INTERIOR: altered: circular auditorium to flanks of gallery, proscenium to S, serpentine gallery on cast-iron columns, theatre seats and ribbed ceiling. Bordered ceramic-tiled walls to toilets. Tiny dressing rooms behind stage. Black and white tiled floor and timber-panelling to foyer; timber-panelled manager's office. 2 early projectors by Thomas Houston of Rugby, and fittings retained in projection room. Further work undertaken 2006-08 with facilities inserted beneath gallery and reinstatement of 1920s paint scheme.