Plans for arthouse cinema revealed

Date Published: 22-Feb-2008

The City Manager’s vision to create a cultural hub in the city took a leap forward yesterday when plans for the proposed development of a four-storey, 340-seater Art House Cultural Cinema were unveiled.

Solas — a group involved in making and screening independent films in Galway — has lodged plans to demolish the existing semi-derelict building at Merchant’s Road. It wants to construct a 4.5-storey building comprising three cinemas — 176-seater at basement level, 77-seater at second floor and 105-seater on the third floor including 28 seats on the balcony.

It will also contain a café, bar and a dvd and book shop. The building will be capable
of having a minimum of 52
screenings perweek or 2,652
performances each year, and
would be capable of attracting
75,990 people based on a 25%
occupancy.
The proposals state that the
cinema would be able to
attract up to 39% of the population
of Galway to the cinema.
This is because the city has