83-year-old Odeon Cinema in KL to be demolished
26 Sep – Change is the only constant and since that is the norm in life, saying goodbye to yesteryear icons is expected, even if not quite welcome. One such icon is the Odeon Cinema in Kuala Lumpur.
It has been reported that the Art Deco style building, the last few remaining in the capital city, is set to be demolished to make way for new development.
A multi-storey retail and service apartment will instead stand in the iconic building's place, The Star reported, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has already approved the new project.
As the project is private owned, there have been concerns of whether it will integrate the building's unique façade into its new building design. The developer has yet to disclose their decision as they said that it is still being planned.
Designed by architect A.O. Coltman and engineer Steen Sehested, it is one of the seven buildings the architect designed during his time in Malaya.
The cinema was opened 83 years ago by Cathay Organisation Holdings Ltd and it has since remained standing at the intersection of Jalan Dang Wangi and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.
Its operation changed hands several times since opening its doors in 1936, with the final one being Antenna Entertainments, who reopened it to the public in 2011. The reopened cinema was given an upgraded look, which retained the original single hall design with a seating capacity of 250.
However, by 2015, the cinema was closed for good.
Other standalone cinemas in KL that have faced the same fate include the Wilayah Complex cinema that closed in 2000, Petaling Street's famous REX cinema that closed in 2002, the cinema at Central Market that closed in 2010 and TGV CapSquare that closed in 2013.
(Photo source: Wikidata | Odeon)
