PROJECT STORY
ABC Cinema, Luton
march/april 2025
The old ABC cinema is an Art Deco building at the heart of George Street in Luton town centre. The building was once a thriving cinema that has now been closed for several years. A key part of the local heritage, the building is in some disrepair internally and awaiting longer-term development. The age of the building means that there is asbestos internally, which required specialist removal. A time consuming and expensive process.
While the site awaits development, Charlotte Designs was commissioned to make the cinema frontage more attractive and create a much needed focal point for the area.
The aim is to make a sympathetic and colourful front façade for the building that complements the wider environment of the town centre, brightening the area and enabling increased footfall and placemaking.
Sarah talked to the local community about what they would like to see and what themes would be of interest to them. She launched a survey and took the varied feedback into account when designing the mural. Two initial designs were put forward and the community invited to vote for their favourite. The design you see here was the overriding winner and was painted by Sarah during March 2025.
The main requirements that came from the survey and consultations with the public, were making the cinema colourful, retain it’s art deco styling and bring hope to the area. Other themes that were also mentioned were bringing some nature into the mural and introducing a nod to other art forms such as film making, music and the carnival. Taking these themes in mind whilst staying close to the vision of the planning department, Sarah came up with this design that received over 1500 votes over a 2 week period.
The design features a city street with a park in the background, there are stylized clouds and an aeroplane. The cityscape is part Art Deco and part futuristic, symbolising the bringing together of the past and the future. There is a 1930s Vauxhall car and an androgenous person sitting on it, again, both very Art Deco in theme. The centre section is essentially the front of a 1930s cinema, with Art Deco architecture and steps down. There are two posters either side of the doors, one shows ‘Blinded by the Light‘ film poster, a 2019 film made in Luton and featuring many scenes on George Street; the other a Myles Smith poster, a Luton based artist enjoying success internationally. These were both public suggestions. The section turning along George Street West is more of an evening scene, representing the use of the area as both a daytime and evening hub. It shows a jazz band and dancers, a nod to both the Jazz age and to the Luton carnival. This is where I have put the Instagram opportunity, with the Art Deco street lamp providing a spotlight for people to take their photo with the Jazz band and dancers. One respondant was keen that the mural included a nod to the new Luton Town Football Club stadium, that at the time of painting, was in the planning phase.
Jason Gale from Luton Council said “I worked with Sarah on producing a painted mural and separate artwork, which was to be displayed on the façade of a former art deco cinema building in Luton Town Centre. I was delighted to work with her, and to progress the artwork proposal from a concept idea through to implementing her works onto the building. The idea was to use a painted mural at low level and a graphical digital image at high level which complemented each other. Sarah went out her way to get these works done, engaged with the public and co-ordinate with myself to provide the stunning piece of public artwork” The public reaction to the mural has been outstanding and they have really engaged with the design and it’s relevance to Luton.