Part of the Halifax Public Libraries network, the Woodlawn library in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, occupies a former movie theatre. The Postmodern brick structure was originally built for Cineplex Odeon as the first of a planned expansion of the franchise to Atlantic Canada. It was however purchased by local chain Empire Theatres before opening on July 29, 1990, headlining “Die Hard 2”.





The 6-theatre multiplex closed in 2009 and was converted into a library branch, as well as the central processing centre for the Halifax Public Libraries in 2010. With the exception of the two marquees flanking the entrance, the library’s past as a movie theatre is not immediately evident in the public areas. Some details are however still visible in the back-office areas, such as high windows that were once used for projection booths. One of the rooms still functions as a performance space, however a modern projector has since replaced the original projector.




The images above date from my visit in January 2023.
This post is part of a series on adaptive reuse in libraries. See the list of such projects I am maintaining or view other posts in this series.
References
- Empire 6 Cinemas in Dartmouth, CA. (n.d.). Cinema Treasures. Retrieved February 4, 2023