Located on Cameron Square at the heart of Fort William’s High Street, Highland Cinema replaced a dilapidated 1980s development on the site of the old town hall. The town had been lacking a cinema for 15 years. Our client had the vision to improve social life and built the environment of the town through a new development. Over two years the designs were developed, the existing building was demolished and replaced with a bespoke cinema building and café-bar.
The design created a new public 'hall' facing the square, which serves as a social focal point for the area acting as a café, bar, meeting and performance space. This was inspired by the traditional village halls of the area and communal purpose they serve.
The rear blocks house the substantial cinemas and supporting services. These were carefully scaled to ensure they didn't overpower the surrounding lanes and buildings. The pitched roof forms echo the distillery warehouses found throughout the highlands and have a suitably semi-industrial feel for their scale.
Dualchas were proud to be the design lead on this important, bespoke regeneration project for this Highland town. We have created a vibrant new social and cultural hub for the area, and the benefits will be felt for many generations.
The project was delivered within two years from inception, despite a challenging town centre site and the unforeseen COVID-19 obstacles of 2020. This was achieved through the commitment of the client and a positive attitude to collaboration within our team.