Built in 1909, The Maida Vale Roller Skating Palace and Club was said to be largest indoor-roller-skating rink in Europe, with a capacity of 2,900, an orchestra balcony, viewing galleries and a 'refreshment lounge'. It was the idea of American entrepreneur Louis Napoleon Schoenfeld, who had moved to the UK in 1899; he commissioned British commercial architects Lionel G Detmar and Theodore Gregg. .
Their vast rectangular structure had an elaborate Edwardian Baroque façade along Delaware Road. Classical figures, inlcuding Hermes, were among the embellishments. A grand opening attended by local dignitaries and a champion figure skater was held on 19 February 1910, but despite initial excitement, the rink immediately ran into financial difficulties as the enthusiasm for skating began to wane. The American Skating Palace Company was eventually wound-up in September 1912 and Schoenfeld was declared bankrupt.
The BBC announced plans for new music studios at Stratford in June 2018, and talked about moving there in "2022/23".
I don't get it, never have. The BBC says the iconic Maida Vale music studio site is "wholly unsuitable" to continue being music studios so they're selling it to Hans Zimmer who will run it as... music studios. If anyone does get it, please reply.
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember the Beeb spent a shed load on a full refurbishment of Maida Vale only ten years ago.
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