Imax 'demolition' to launch Arts by the Sea Festival

HOW IT MIGHT LOOK: Projection mapping is used, left, to transform the facade of the iconic Frank Gehry-designed IAC Building in New York HOW IT MIGHT LOOK: Projection mapping is used, left, to transform the facade of the iconic Frank Gehry-designed IAC Building in New York

BOURNEMOUTH’S reviled Imax cinema is to be “demolished” on Saturday September 29 at 9.15pm.

But the destruction is all an astonishing illusion, planned as to launch the Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival.

The “demolition” will be the climax of a show called The Secret Incident, which will use state-of-the-art projectors and an army of visual and sound pioneers.

The arts and technology collective Seeper has been working with festival organisers to produce a large 3D “projection mapping show” which will be beamed onto the building.

The use of images, sound, special effects and light will culminate with the “disappearance” of the Water-front Imax building.

The Secret Incident is set to be a highlight of the Arts by the Sea Festival, which runs until October 29.

This includes more than 100 events across various art forms including digital arts, film, live scores, dance, music, theatre, sculpture and exhibitions.

The real dismantling of the Imax, just over 10 years after a giant-screen cinema opened in the building to disappointing business, is due to begin in the days after the event.

Bournemouth Council plans to replace it with an events space until a developer can be found to create a longer-term use for the site.

It set aside £8.5million for acquiring the site, ousting the businesses in it demolishing the building and preparing the new space.

Seeper, founded in 1998, is a collective based in East London which specialises in interactive installations and performances.

The Secret Incident is a free event, with no booking required.

Planning consent for the Waterfront demolition to ground floor level and use as space for public use and events has been granted.

Councillor John Beesley, pictured, Leader of Bournemouth Borough Council, said: “Nothing like this on such a large scale has ever been done before in Bournemouth.


“I am sure it will be a memorable moment that many local people, who have repeatedly told us how much they hate the building, will want to see.


“The Council is delighted to be able to bring this event to Bournemouth.
‘The Secret Incident’ will mark the climax of the 2012 Arts by the Sea Festival opening, signify the beginning of the end for the IMAX building and the precursor to an ongoing, exciting events programme on the Waterfront site.”

Council leader welcomes a 'memorable moment'


Following the projection, works will begin on site in October to prepare for the dismantling of the building.


“The new Waterfront events space will be open for Summer 2013 and available to host theatre and arts performances, music and dance, sports and community events.


A live webcam will be in situ during the dismantling works for people who would like to see the progress on site and watch as the sea views are gradually restored.


To view the webcam live (from September 29), or for any other information about the project visit bournemouth.gov.uk/waterfront and for full details of the Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival see artsbournemouth.org.uk/festival

Comments(19)

BarrHumbug says...
9:36am Thu 6 Sep 12

While their at it I wonder if Sleeper could, after the staged demolition, raise from the rubble a huge multi story plush apartment block with ground level shops so that residents will be able to see what it will look like 10yrs from now? :-D

Lord Spring says...
10:07am Thu 6 Sep 12

But it will still be there in the morning.

Reminds me of Winston Churchill talking to Bessie Bradock one evening.

High Treason says...
10:36am Thu 6 Sep 12

This is not in The Echo yet. We can all guess why.

bbc.in/Tjw8wP

muscliffman says...
10:42am Thu 6 Sep 12

BarrHumbug wrote:
While their at it I wonder if Sleeper could, after the staged demolition, raise from the rubble a huge multi story plush apartment block with ground level shops so that residents will be able to see what it will look like 10yrs from now? :-D
Well, they probably could provide this inevitable image from the near future.
However....they would need all the right contacts inside and out of the Town Hall to see the 'real plans' for this, and the adjoining council sites - a plentiful supply of plain brown envelopes would be helpful of course.
I just do not agreee that this building is 'reviled' by the (mostly silent)majority of those who now own it (us!) - we would like to thoughtfully adapt and facelift this perfectly sound structure for good purpose.
But then it would be in the way of the powerful private profit 'real plans' so down, at public expense, it must come.

natureman says...
10:49am Thu 6 Sep 12

Bournemouth Council is missing a golden opportunity to raise money from the Imax, why not lease it to a local landlord, so that he can turn it into bedsits and flats, move all the drug users, drug dealers, beggars and alcoholics from Boscombe to the Imax, this would solve the problems in Boscombe and give all the tenants of the Imax some where to "chill out", and then after about five years of occupancy, if the Imax has not fallen down, it certainly will be ready for demolition.

muscliffman says...
11:01am Thu 6 Sep 12

High Treason wrote:
This is not in The Echo yet. We can all guess why.

bbc.in/Tjw8wP
Quite!
History in this town just keeps repeating.

BIGTONE says...
11:03am Thu 6 Sep 12

Large scale?
Fail!

Bob49 says...
12:38pm Thu 6 Sep 12

"a developer can be found to create a longer-term use for the site"



There we are, as blunt as you want.

The reason why the council has spent £8.5m of our money buying this site - and another £2m pulling the building down.


No doubt we will be told, when the plans are finally submitted, that it will deliver some wondrous Ice Rink, surf reef or archery court etc ..... as well as returning a profit for the town.


Just as with Boscombe seafront, where the profit has not materialised and the council is raiding the coffers to bail out the failure.

The site, including the car park, is set to be appartments - the delay is in trying to come up with a viable 'cover story'. Though given their previous track record any old tosh will do, as long as it appears a 'big project', not the usual cobbled together collection of cinemas, restaurants and climbing walls.

An Olympic size swimmimg pool, perhaps ?

pete woodley says...
1:04pm Thu 6 Sep 12

Lord Spring wrote:
But it will still be there in the morning.

Reminds me of Winston Churchill talking to Bessie Bradock one evening.
Now you are going back.

dylexic bobert says...
1:20pm Thu 6 Sep 12

I think the imax looks fine,never understood the hoo ha!
It's that pub on the other side of the road I can't understand!why is it always shut?????

BarrHumbug says...
2:06pm Thu 6 Sep 12

dylexic bobert wrote:
I think the imax looks fine,never understood the hoo ha!
It's that pub on the other side of the road I can't understand!why is it always shut?????
I seem to recall some sort of planning violation when it was built has stopped the building from being used?

penhale says...
3:41pm Thu 6 Sep 12

Same story different day, just get the ugly abortion pulled down and stop fumbling about.

Chiqqy says...
10:35pm Thu 6 Sep 12

I hate it, always hated it, it's looks like they uprooted a building from Hamworthy and flew it to the seafront....knock it down I say FOR REAL

Bliggo says...
9:01am Fri 7 Sep 12

Build a swimming pool, there isn't one in the town centre which is absurd. It's the type of building that wouldn't need to be high either, meaning we'd still get those gorgeous views driving down Bath road.

bornINpoole69 says...
11:24am Fri 7 Sep 12

i would like to think that the original pool that was on this site is still there hiding under the Imax!
along with 2 trolley buses

spooki says...
1:18pm Fri 7 Sep 12

BarrHumbug wrote:
dylexic bobert wrote:
I think the imax looks fine,never understood the hoo ha!
It's that pub on the other side of the road I can't understand!why is it always shut?????
I seem to recall some sort of planning violation when it was built has stopped the building from being used?
i know the round extension on the Hermatige Hotel was built without the right planning permission, and that was when I worked in a trade decorating suppliers in 2001!

spooki says...
1:24pm Fri 7 Sep 12

Bob49 wrote:
"a developer can be found to create a longer-term use for the site"



There we are, as blunt as you want.

The reason why the council has spent £8.5m of our money buying this site - and another £2m pulling the building down.


No doubt we will be told, when the plans are finally submitted, that it will deliver some wondrous Ice Rink, surf reef or archery court etc ..... as well as returning a profit for the town.


Just as with Boscombe seafront, where the profit has not materialised and the council is raiding the coffers to bail out the failure.

The site, including the car park, is set to be appartments - the delay is in trying to come up with a viable 'cover story'. Though given their previous track record any old tosh will do, as long as it appears a 'big project', not the usual cobbled together collection of cinemas, restaurants and climbing walls.

An Olympic size swimmimg pool, perhaps ?
We had a good (if a bit small) swimming pool in the BIC and one where the IMAX stands - both gone.
We had a permenant ice rink - that's gone.
We had theatre/concert venue with perfect acoustics - that's gone.
Maybe if we all come up with an ideal suloution, then pretend we don't really want it, the council will build it?

Grant David Read says...
2:54pm Sun 9 Sep 12

Just about had enough of the trolls that hide behind obscure self obsessed screen names on the Echo comments sections.

The article is about the arts festival NOT the Imax. The building is being used as a projector screen to show a peice of digital art as part of the opening of this arts festival.



Nothing more and nothing less.

Neo-sapian says...
2:37pm Mon 10 Sep 12

Grant David Read wrote:
Just about had enough of the trolls that hide behind obscure self obsessed screen names on the Echo comments sections.

The article is about the arts festival NOT the Imax. The building is being used as a projector screen to show a peice of digital art as part of the opening of this arts festival.



Nothing more and nothing less.
Sorry to nitpick but isn't the digital art piece a deconstruction/colla
pse of the IMAX? Hence the relationship between the 2.

I know what you mean about the trolls though.

click2find

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