TIME-lapse footage of work to strip out and open up the auditorium at Bradford’s Odeon building has been revealed.

Bradford Live has released the clip condensed into under four minutes, showing just how the 1960s cinema additions were removed as one of the first stages in the restoration process.

The work itself, which was funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, took place in 2019 and the footage spans March, May, June and July.

Accompanying the clips, it states: “During 2019 Bradford Live started the process of redeveloping Bradford’s former Odeon building.

“The first step was to carefully remove the huge concrete and steel cinema structures inserted at the end of the 1960s, revealing the extent of the huge auditorium for the first time in 50 years.

“This work was funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and it was also captured by time-lapse cameras funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of a program of heritage activity which will share the history and redevelopment of one of Bradford’s most loved buildings with the people of the city.”

Earlier this year it was revealed that a number of artefacts uncovered during the works are to go on display when the building reopens as Bradford Live.

Contractors discovered a number of items as the steel and breeze blocks that had subdivided the former Gaumont for 50 years were removed. These included theatre notices, light fittings, teak hand rails, and a trilby hat that is believed to belong to the Telegraph & Argus’s former entertainment correspondent who lost it there during an interview with The Rolling Stones in the 1960s.

An exhibition of many of these items is expected to be held in the city in around 12 months time.

Bradford Live is transforming the key city centre building into a 4,000 capacity live music venue which is to be run by Birmingham-based NEC Group, which has made a 30-year commitment to operate it.

In September it was announced that they were beginning the process of finding a contractor for the main stage of construction - and that the opening date had been put back to 2022.

Of the latest video, Lee Craven of Bradford Live said: "Despite all the dust, and the darkness in places, we have managed to capture some decent footage. The sheer scale of the steel and concrete structures that had to be removed always impressed us (and needed a lot of effort to remove)!

"The demolition contractor used some amazing machines that were able to chew up the concrete planks of the cinema floors. At times, it looked like we were witnessing a mechanised version of Jurassic Park… Pulling down the massive ceiling of Odeon 2 was a ‘heart-in-the-mouth’ experience, as was the removal of a huge beam of steel that was positioned right at the back of the auditorium, and originally supported the dividing wall between the two cinemas. We struggled to find a crane with a long enough boom to reach, but finally managed it."

He added that a contractor was currently on site doing a final package of enabling works to prepare for the main contractor, which is due to start in the first quarter of next year.

"As for the selection of the main contractor, we are currently in the latter stages of the tender process, and expect the tender returns to be back early in the New Year. Of the many eventful years of the New Victoria/Gaumont/Odeon, we expect 2021 to be one of the most exciting yet."