Elite Cinema

A Local Legacy Revived: Ferco Paragon Seats Equip the Elite Cinema for the Future

Located in the heart of East Midlands, Derbyshire, the Elite Cinema has been reborn into a 120-seat cinema.

The Elite Cinema was opened in the 1930s by local proprietor Frank S. Bromwich. It was an upmarket cinema also designed by Frank with a large auditorium that seated 550 guests. The cinema closed in 1976 and remained empty for several years.

The venue was eventually converted into a shopping arcade and nightclub. The building was split into two, as the dance floor cut the auditorium horizontally. The architecture of the building has mostly stayed the same, with the upper proscenium

arch remaining and some ceiling decoration.

With ambitious plans to create a social hub for the community, the nightclub closed in 2020 and plans to recreate the space into a cinema and restaurant were submitted.

Fast forward to May 2023, after a couple of delays due to the pandemic, a new cutting-edge cinema was reborn and opened its doors to the public on the 23rd of May. The cinema consultant for the new Elite acting for Client, Mikijohns Enterprises Ltd, was Bill Chew Architect Ltd, a well-known architect in cinema design circles.

The Elite cinema chose Ferco Paragon 588 seats, which are sleek and modern in design. Every single seat in the Paragon range is ergonomically designed and extensively tested for durability at our in-house facility. Paragon seats combine superior comfort with outstanding value and feature a wide range of customisable options and accessories to meet the needs and expectations of today’s cinema operator

and their patrons.

With 120 Paragon 588 seats installed by Ferco, the Elite cinema gives locals a central social hub and an opportunity to connect and be entertained through shared experiences.