Former Empress Cinema

FORMER EMPRESS CINEMA, 468-476, HOE STREET E17

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1245459
Date first listed:
15-May-1997
List Entry Name:
Former Empress Cinema
Statutory Address:
FORMER EMPRESS CINEMA, 468-476, HOE STREET E17
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Date:
2007-07-08
Reference:
IOE01/16365/26
Rights:
© Mr Stewart Monk. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1245459
Date first listed:
15-May-1997
List Entry Name:
Former Empress Cinema
Statutory Address 1:
FORMER EMPRESS CINEMA, 468-476, HOE STREET E17

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
FORMER EMPRESS CINEMA, 468-476, HOE STREET E17

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Greater London Authority
District:
Waltham Forest (London Borough)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
TQ3768688196

Details

TQ 38 NE
1802/2/10009

HOE STREET, E17
(South West side)
Nos. 468-476 (even) Former Empress Cinema

II

Cinema. 1913, architect unknown, for Messrs Good Brothers, impressarios. Brick, with rendered facade incorporating stone decorations. Low foyer parallel with shops on street, with behind it a double-height auditorium at slight angle to street. Main facade a tripartite composition with higher central section, having a raised parapet supported on four Ionic columns over a projecting balcony. Behind this windows (boarded up at time of inspection) to projection box. Rest of upper facade blind, with lower parapet and an Ionic pilaster at each end. Dentiled string course and band to lower facade, with windows either side of paired double doors.
Interior. Auditorium of double height with shallow balcony at rear. Barrel-vaulted roof and side walls with rich plaster decoration in panels, the side walls with pilasters incorporating rosettes and swags. Deep moulded cornice and frieze continued right round the auditorium. Cyma curved balcony front ending in projecting circular ends originally treated as boxes. Proscenium partially hidden by later canopy but retains pilasters to sides.
Included as an unusually elaborate example of an early cinema, with exceptionally rich surviving plasterwork. The elaboration is especially remarkable for a small cinema in a suburban location.

Listing NGR: TQ3768688196

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
468679
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Former Empress Cinema

Map

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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