The Athenaeum, Muswell Hill
Former venue in Muswell Hill, London
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Athenaeum was a multipurpose venue standing on Fortis Green Road in London's Muswell Hill. Among other functions, its spaces were variously used as a music hall, conference rooms and a cinema.[1]
History
Construction of the Athenaeum was completed in 1900 during the development of Muswell Hill by James Edmondson which had begun in 1897.[2][3]
In 1918 the main hall opened as a cinema with a screening of the silent film The Conqueror. The leasing faced resistance due to the loss of the hall as community space.[clarification needed] In 1930 the cinema was modernised to allow for sound films.
In 1936 an Odeon cinema opened across the road from the Athenaeum; unable to deal with such competition, the Athenaeum's cinema was closed and turned into a Palais de Danse the following year. It continued being used in such a capacity, as well as for other social functions and community events, until 1966 when the building was demolished to make way for a Sainsbury's with a block of flats above. The name remains only in the nearby street Athenaeum Place.[1]