A location that played a key role in both the Hollywood and British film industries is being transformed into a movie-inspired housing complex.
Denham Film Studios in Buckinghamshire is being redeveloped to provide 224 new homes while retaining themes from the site's rich history.
Built in the 1930s, the studios were the location for films such as Treasure Island (1950) and The Dam Busters (1955), while its on-site laboratories were used to edit the likes of Star Wars (1977), Alien (1979) and ET (1982).
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The studios originally had two cinemas, where directors and producers such as Stanley Kubrick, Albert R "Cubby" Broccoli and Steven Spielberg reviewed footage. One is being refurbished and will become a private screening room for residents of the new development.
There will also be film-inspired artwork in the grounds and the streets will be named after the titles and stars connected to the studios.
The centrepiece of the development is the Grade II-listed main building, one of only three structures in the UK designed by Walter Gropius, the architect who launched Germany's Bauhaus movement in the 1920s. Built in 1936, the building is now being transformed into 49 apartments.
There will be three further apartment houses in the 12-acre grounds, constructed to complement the style of the main building. In addition to the apartments, there will be 70 four or five-bedroomed detached townhouses.
Bob Weston, the chairman of Weston Homes (weston-homes.com), says: "For almost 80 years, Denham Film Studios played a central role in the history of Hollywood and British movie-making.
"This is without doubt the most exciting, glamorous and unique restoration project Weston Homes has undertaken to date, with its iconic Art Deco centrepiece, the retained and restored cinema once used by Hollywood directors, and its illustrious history.
"Our vision at Denham Film Studios is to create an Art Deco and movie-inspired residential address within easy commuting distance of London via rail or road."
Prices for the apartments are expected to start at £350,000, going up to around £1.5m for the detached townhouses.
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