Timeline:
1936 - The Grosvenor Cinema opened to the public on 12 October.
1937 - The cinema become part of Oscar Deutsch's Odeon cinema chain.
1941 - Renamed Odeon
1950 - Renamed the Gaumont
1964 - Reverted to the Odeon name.
1981 - Given grade-II listed status
1981 - Reopened as an independent cinema and renamed Ace Cinema.
1984 - Granted Grade-II* listed status.
1986 - Closed as Cinema.
1990 - Converted into the Grosvenor Cine/Bar Experience nightclub, and then the Studio Warehouse nightclub.
Mid 1990’s - closed as a nightclub.
2000 - The building was purchased by Zoroastrian Trust Funds, who restored and renovated the cinema as a place of worship.
Historic England Hertigae listing description: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1079729?section=official-list-entry
Historic images and info from http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/11167
Contemporary images courtesy of Jonathan Fuller-Rowell
Links:
https://www.ztfe.com/
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1079729?section=official-list-entry http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/11167
http://www.modernistbritain.co.uk/post/building/Grosvenor+Cinema+Rayners+Lane/ https://programme.openhouse.org.uk/listings/3433
https:www.site-intergrity.info
Zoroastrian Centre for Europe:
The Zoroastrian Centre, the former Ace Cinema in Rayners Lane, adapted by ZTFE (Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe) was selected for a granular-scale exploration of the tangible and intangible heritage of the community and their building. Using the site-integrity methodology the congregation were directly involved in the capture and analysis of their own cultural heritage through a series of co-created film installations.
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Working in close collaboration with the congregation and resident priest, a well-defined framework for filming the Jashan and Boi ceremonies was established. As a result, a series of filming devices were constructed that captured the religious and social practices from the perspective of the congregation. These films were then projected back into the site, enabling an exact transfer of scale and time as the image mapped the architectural site. Technically, the context of this research lies in the origins of early cinema, with reference to the Lumière Brothers' Cinématographe (a three-in-one device that could record, develop, and project). Through this fieldwork, site-integrity encouraged the generation of grassroots perspectives and insights by actively involving the faith community in the creative process.
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Initaial prototype filming deveice can move in 360 degress both horizontally and vertically.
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On 26 November 2024, the Zoroastrian Centre hosted two expanded film installations made as part of the Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA) funded project ‘Moving Pictures: Reusing Cinemas as Places of Worship in the Diaspora. This event culminated the Zoroastrian Centre’s two-year collaboration with artist-researcher Dr Julie Marsh from the Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media (CREAM) and project technician Jonny Fuller-Rowell and sound specialist Johnny Titheridge from the University of Westminster.
The doors opened at 6pm, and over 50 members of the congregation warmly welcomed members of the public into the Zoroastrian centre, offering tea and samosas to the visitors. The deputy mayor of Harrow and local councillors attended, along with Laura Moffat from Arts and Christianity.
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Guests were invited to experience two simultaneous site-specific film installations. In the Zartoshty Brothers Hall, a motorised camera-projector system synchronised the Jashan Thanksgiving ceremony with the hall’s architectural features, providing visitors with an immersive experience that blended pre-recorded films of their rituals within the architectural heritage of the former cinema site. This fusion created a captivating ‘live’ representation of Zoroastrian religious practices in situ.
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Meanwhile, in the Prayer Room — the former projection room—a second installation focused on the Boi ceremony, a daily Zoroastrian ritual involving the tending of the sacred fire. Overhead projections highlighted the priest’s movements, seamlessly merging recorded imagery with the live setting. Attendees had the added opportunity to interact with resident priest Yazad Bhadha, gaining deeper insight into the ritual. Through these installations, Moving Picturesprovided a profound commentary on how migration and community shape the transformation of urban spaces into vibrant sites of living heritage.
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At 7 PM, Malcolm M. Deboo, President of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), delivered a welcome address in the main hall. He highlighted the significance of the site-specific film installations as a unique collaboration between the Zoroastrian community and artist-researcher Dr Julie Marsh. He also emphasised how the films offer a fresh perspective on their traditions, seamlessly connecting the community's present identity with the building's rich cinematic past, resulting in a deeply meaningful and immersive experience.
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This was followed by an artist Talk by Dr Julie Marsh, who discussed the context of the film installations and introduced the concept of site-integrity, her innovative artistic research methodology, where through a series of co-created film installations, the materiality of site is captured through the projected image, viewed as a “performative” rather than a “representational” tool. This methodology allows for a sensitive investigation into the dynamics of users in a site- specific context.
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Two guest speakers then shared their insights on the project. Professor Cangbai Wang from the University of Westminster examined how diaspora communities are reshaping urban spaces for cultural practices, emphasizing their creative agency. He discussed the film installations as expressions of both testimony and celebration, showcasing the grassroots social actions of migrants who engage proactively with the social and political aspects of place, home, and community. Professor Wang also highlighted how the film installations create a multi-vocal heritage space, allowing for a fresh perspective on ‘British Heritage' and noted that these initiatives illustrate that heritage is ‘a moment of action, not something frozen in material form’ (Smith, 2006: 83).
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Artist and curator Dima Karout reflected on the Moving Pictures project a ‘Living Archive’, highlighting the significance of socially engaged art and community collaboration in fostering inclusive cultural heritage. She emphasised the importance of knowledge sharing and decentralizing art by engaging with communities where they are and how Moving Pictures brings art into community-centred spaces, challenging the idea that art should reside only in exclusive venues, making it more accessible to the public.
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The panel discussion on Art, Migration, and Placemaking, chaired by researcher Özlem Köksal, examined art's role in shaping cultural identity and fostering dialogue within diasporic spaces.
The panel was then opened up for additional feedback from congregation members and questions from the floor with provided a lively debate and discussion provided a platform for exploring cultural identity and heritage within the context of the Zoroastrian Centre’s journey from cinema to site of worship served as a powerful metaphor for the adaptability and resilience of diaspora communities. Attendees left the event with a deeper appreciation for the complexities of heritage and its role in shaping inclusive, multicultural urban spaces.
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Moving Pictures Film Screening & Workshop – Sunday, 17th November 2024
Zoroastrian Centre, Rayners Lane, Harrow
As part of Inter Faith Week 2024, we were honoured to present two Moving Picturesfilm installations and facilitate a collaborative, multi-faith workshop at the Zoroastrian Centre in Rayners Lane, Harrow, on Sunday, 17th November 2024. The event formed a key moment in the Moving Pictures research project, which explores the repurposing of former cinemas into contemporary places of worship. This occasion was particularly significant as it coincided with the 24th Varsi Jashan in memory of Mobed Faridoon Bahman Zartoshty, a deeply respected patron of the Zoroastrian community. His vision and generosity—together with that of his younger brother, the late Mobed Mehraban Zartoshty—enabled the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) to purchase and restore the former Grosvenor Cinema, now the Zoroastrian Centre for Europe, a Grade II* listed building of architectural and cultural importance.
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The event brought together a remarkable group of faith leaders, heritage professionals, and community members to reflect on the evolving spiritual and civic role of such buildings. The two site-specific film installations, shown in the Zartoshty Brothers Hall and the Setayasht Gah (prayer room), offered an immersive experience of the Centre’s layered history—both as a former cinema and as an active place of Zoroastrian worship. These films served as a catalyst for broader conversations around placemaking, heritage, ritual, and creative agency within adapted sacred spaces.
![]()
Following a community lunch, the afternoon workshop featured valuable contributions from key representatives of Historic England: Diana Evans (Head of Places of Worship), Caroline Kendall (Senior Listings Policy Advisor), and Dr. David Hampshire (Senior Policy Adviser – Places of Worship). Their insights into national heritage policy and the lived realities of listed faith buildings helped ground the discussion in current practice and future potential.
We were also privileged to be joined by faith leaders who have themselves overseen the transformation of former cinemas into thriving religious spaces. These included Senior Pastor Richard Adu from the Dominion Centre in Wood Green, Imam Ebu Bekir Tezgel from the Aziziye Mosque in Stoke Newington, Councillor Bhagwant Singh Pandher and Sarbjeet Uppal from Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in Coventry (joining online), and Md Golam Rahman from Jami Mosque in Portsmouth (also online). Each offered reflections on their community’s journey of adaptation, restoration, and worship. Malcolm M. Deboo, President of the Zoroastrian Centre, opened the event with a warm welcome and highlighted the significance of preserving both spiritual practice and architectural heritage across faith traditions.
The workshop explored a range of vital themes, including the challenges and opportunities involved in adapting listed buildings for worship, the complexities of navigating planning and heritage legislation, and the pressing need for more flexible and supportive funding mechanisms. Participants also discussed the potential for stronger interfaith collaboration, the value of increasing public access to repurposed religious buildings, and the role of storytelling and documentation in preserving intangible cultural heritage. This latter point was especially timely, given the UK Government’s recent ratification (in June 2024) of the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), which recognises the importance of lived experience, ritual, and identity wherever they are practised.
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Fun Club – February 2025 Presentation of Moving Pictures Film Installations
In February 2025, we had the pleasure of presenting our Moving Pictures film installations to the children and families of the Zoroastrian community as part of their monthly Fun Club session. This event formed part of our wider collaboration with ZTFE through the London Migration Film Festival, and it offered a valuable opportunity to share and reflect on the community’s heritage with its younger members, who had never experienced religious ceremonies first-hand.
![]()
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The day began with a discussion about the history of the Zoroastrian Centre itself. With the children and youth, we explored how the building—originally the Grosvenor Cinema—was designed in 1936 and later transformed into a vibrant community and religious space. We engaged the group with questions about the building’s past use, architecture (including its well-known “elephant trunk” façade), and the evolution of the prayer room from a cinema projection booth into a sacred space. These conversations helped connect the children’s understanding of place, memory, and transformation. Then in the Zoroastrian Centre’s prayer room, where we screened the first installation in the fire temple. This film installation recreated the atmosphere of the sacred Boi ceremony. We invited the children to observe closely and reflect on what they could see, hear, and smell—encouraging a sensory and emotional response. Together, we explored the symbolism of fire in Zoroastrianism, its representation of energy and divine presence, and the ritual actions of the priest during the ceremony. The second installation—a film of the Jashan ceremony—was performed in the main hall. Children and parents entered quietly and respectfully with their heads covered and were able to witness this important Zoroastrian ritual, many for the first time. The film provided a visual introduction to the ceremony’s structure and spiritual purpose, reinforcing previous Fun Club sessions where the Jashan had been introduced through role play and storytelling.
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After the screenings, participants were divided into age-appropriate groups for follow-up discussions and activities. The youngest children took part in an arts activity based on themes from the films, while the older children and teens reflected through poetry and discussion. These sessions were designed to encourage personal expression, critical thinking, and deeper engagement with the content presented. Parents were invited to complete feedback forms, and the children responded to questions about the films and ceremonies and were asked to respond through drawings. The children responded with enthusiasm and it was a privilege to contribute to their journey of understanding and celebrating their Zoroastrian heritage.
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Visit of the Minister of Faith, Lord Wajid Khan of Burnley, to the Zoroastrian Centre
On Tuesday, 17th December 2024, the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) warmly welcomed to the Zoroastrian Centre the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, Lord Wajid Khan of Burnley. Lord Khan, a former Mayor of Burnley and former MEP for North West England in the European Parliament has an extensive academic and political background, with faith and community engagement as a consistent theme.
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A short film produced by the University of Westminster showcased the transformation of the Grade II* Zoroastrian Centre. Once the Grosvenor cinema, it has been meticulously restored by the community, as documented through the photographic archive of Robert Douglas-Law of the Cinema Theatre Association (CTA). Dr. Julie Marsh elaborated on how this project fed into the broader RIBA-funded ‘Moving Pictures’ research project, which examines the adaptive reuse of former cinemas as places of worship. The unique heritage value of these adapted sites lies in the creative agency of the communities in reconfiguring them into places of worship. She introduced the inclusive, co-creative approach ‘site-integrity’ to record and safeguard not just the architectural adaptations, but the living practices which layer forms of intangible cultural heritage over the existing historic fabric of these historic buildings.
![]()
![]()
![]()
The Zoroastrian Centre, the former Ace Cinema in Rayners Lane, adapted by ZTFE (Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe) was selected for a granular-scale exploration of the tangible and intangible heritage of the community and their building. Using the site-integrity methodology the congregation were directly involved in the capture and analysis of their own cultural heritage through a series of co-created film installations.
Working in close collaboration with the congregation and resident priest, a well-defined framework for filming the Jashan and Boi ceremonies was established. As a result, a series of filming devices were constructed that captured the religious and social practices from the perspective of the congregation. These films were then projected back into the site, enabling an exact transfer of scale and time as the image mapped the architectural site. Technically, the context of this research lies in the origins of early cinema, with reference to the Lumière Brothers' Cinématographe (a three-in-one device that could record, develop, and project). Through this fieldwork, site-integrity encouraged the generation of grassroots perspectives and insights by actively involving the faith community in the creative process.
On 26 November 2024, the Zoroastrian Centre hosted two expanded film installations made as part of the Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA) funded project ‘Moving Pictures: Reusing Cinemas as Places of Worship in the Diaspora. This event culminated the Zoroastrian Centre’s two-year collaboration with artist-researcher Dr Julie Marsh from the Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media (CREAM) and project technician Jonny Fuller-Rowell and sound specialist Johnny Titheridge from the University of Westminster.
The doors opened at 6pm, and over 50 members of the congregation warmly welcomed members of the public into the Zoroastrian centre, offering tea and samosas to the visitors. The deputy mayor of Harrow and local councillors attended, along with Laura Moffat from Arts and Christianity.
Guests were invited to experience two simultaneous site-specific film installations. In the Zartoshty Brothers Hall, a motorised camera-projector system synchronised the Jashan Thanksgiving ceremony with the hall’s architectural features, providing visitors with an immersive experience that blended pre-recorded films of their rituals within the architectural heritage of the former cinema site. This fusion created a captivating ‘live’ representation of Zoroastrian religious practices in situ.
Meanwhile, in the Prayer Room — the former projection room—a second installation focused on the Boi ceremony, a daily Zoroastrian ritual involving the tending of the sacred fire. Overhead projections highlighted the priest’s movements, seamlessly merging recorded imagery with the live setting. Attendees had the added opportunity to interact with resident priest Yazad Bhadha, gaining deeper insight into the ritual. Through these installations, Moving Picturesprovided a profound commentary on how migration and community shape the transformation of urban spaces into vibrant sites of living heritage.
At 7 PM, Malcolm M. Deboo, President of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), delivered a welcome address in the main hall. He highlighted the significance of the site-specific film installations as a unique collaboration between the Zoroastrian community and artist-researcher Dr Julie Marsh. He also emphasised how the films offer a fresh perspective on their traditions, seamlessly connecting the community's present identity with the building's rich cinematic past, resulting in a deeply meaningful and immersive experience.
This was followed by an artist Talk by Dr Julie Marsh, who discussed the context of the film installations and introduced the concept of site-integrity, her innovative artistic research methodology, where through a series of co-created film installations, the materiality of site is captured through the projected image, viewed as a “performative” rather than a “representational” tool. This methodology allows for a sensitive investigation into the dynamics of users in a site- specific context.
Two guest speakers then shared their insights on the project. Professor Cangbai Wang from the University of Westminster examined how diaspora communities are reshaping urban spaces for cultural practices, emphasizing their creative agency. He discussed the film installations as expressions of both testimony and celebration, showcasing the grassroots social actions of migrants who engage proactively with the social and political aspects of place, home, and community. Professor Wang also highlighted how the film installations create a multi-vocal heritage space, allowing for a fresh perspective on ‘British Heritage' and noted that these initiatives illustrate that heritage is ‘a moment of action, not something frozen in material form’ (Smith, 2006: 83).
Artist and curator Dima Karout reflected on the Moving Pictures project a ‘Living Archive’, highlighting the significance of socially engaged art and community collaboration in fostering inclusive cultural heritage. She emphasised the importance of knowledge sharing and decentralizing art by engaging with communities where they are and how Moving Pictures brings art into community-centred spaces, challenging the idea that art should reside only in exclusive venues, making it more accessible to the public.
The panel discussion on Art, Migration, and Placemaking, chaired by researcher Özlem Köksal, examined art's role in shaping cultural identity and fostering dialogue within diasporic spaces.
The panel was then opened up for additional feedback from congregation members and questions from the floor with provided a lively debate and discussion provided a platform for exploring cultural identity and heritage within the context of the Zoroastrian Centre’s journey from cinema to site of worship served as a powerful metaphor for the adaptability and resilience of diaspora communities. Attendees left the event with a deeper appreciation for the complexities of heritage and its role in shaping inclusive, multicultural urban spaces.
Moving Pictures Film Screening & Workshop – Sunday, 17th November 2024
Zoroastrian Centre, Rayners Lane, Harrow
As part of Inter Faith Week 2024, we were honoured to present two Moving Picturesfilm installations and facilitate a collaborative, multi-faith workshop at the Zoroastrian Centre in Rayners Lane, Harrow, on Sunday, 17th November 2024. The event formed a key moment in the Moving Pictures research project, which explores the repurposing of former cinemas into contemporary places of worship. This occasion was particularly significant as it coincided with the 24th Varsi Jashan in memory of Mobed Faridoon Bahman Zartoshty, a deeply respected patron of the Zoroastrian community. His vision and generosity—together with that of his younger brother, the late Mobed Mehraban Zartoshty—enabled the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) to purchase and restore the former Grosvenor Cinema, now the Zoroastrian Centre for Europe, a Grade II* listed building of architectural and cultural importance.
The event brought together a remarkable group of faith leaders, heritage professionals, and community members to reflect on the evolving spiritual and civic role of such buildings. The two site-specific film installations, shown in the Zartoshty Brothers Hall and the Setayasht Gah (prayer room), offered an immersive experience of the Centre’s layered history—both as a former cinema and as an active place of Zoroastrian worship. These films served as a catalyst for broader conversations around placemaking, heritage, ritual, and creative agency within adapted sacred spaces.
Following a community lunch, the afternoon workshop featured valuable contributions from key representatives of Historic England: Diana Evans (Head of Places of Worship), Caroline Kendall (Senior Listings Policy Advisor), and Dr. David Hampshire (Senior Policy Adviser – Places of Worship). Their insights into national heritage policy and the lived realities of listed faith buildings helped ground the discussion in current practice and future potential.We were also privileged to be joined by faith leaders who have themselves overseen the transformation of former cinemas into thriving religious spaces. These included Senior Pastor Richard Adu from the Dominion Centre in Wood Green, Imam Ebu Bekir Tezgel from the Aziziye Mosque in Stoke Newington, Councillor Bhagwant Singh Pandher and Sarbjeet Uppal from Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in Coventry (joining online), and Md Golam Rahman from Jami Mosque in Portsmouth (also online). Each offered reflections on their community’s journey of adaptation, restoration, and worship. Malcolm M. Deboo, President of the Zoroastrian Centre, opened the event with a warm welcome and highlighted the significance of preserving both spiritual practice and architectural heritage across faith traditions.
The workshop explored a range of vital themes, including the challenges and opportunities involved in adapting listed buildings for worship, the complexities of navigating planning and heritage legislation, and the pressing need for more flexible and supportive funding mechanisms. Participants also discussed the potential for stronger interfaith collaboration, the value of increasing public access to repurposed religious buildings, and the role of storytelling and documentation in preserving intangible cultural heritage. This latter point was especially timely, given the UK Government’s recent ratification (in June 2024) of the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), which recognises the importance of lived experience, ritual, and identity wherever they are practised.
Fun Club – February 2025 Presentation of Moving Pictures Film Installations
In February 2025, we had the pleasure of presenting our Moving Pictures film installations to the children and families of the Zoroastrian community as part of their monthly Fun Club session. This event formed part of our wider collaboration with ZTFE through the London Migration Film Festival, and it offered a valuable opportunity to share and reflect on the community’s heritage with its younger members, who had never experienced religious ceremonies first-hand.
The day began with a discussion about the history of the Zoroastrian Centre itself. With the children and youth, we explored how the building—originally the Grosvenor Cinema—was designed in 1936 and later transformed into a vibrant community and religious space. We engaged the group with questions about the building’s past use, architecture (including its well-known “elephant trunk” façade), and the evolution of the prayer room from a cinema projection booth into a sacred space. These conversations helped connect the children’s understanding of place, memory, and transformation. Then in the Zoroastrian Centre’s prayer room, where we screened the first installation in the fire temple. This film installation recreated the atmosphere of the sacred Boi ceremony. We invited the children to observe closely and reflect on what they could see, hear, and smell—encouraging a sensory and emotional response. Together, we explored the symbolism of fire in Zoroastrianism, its representation of energy and divine presence, and the ritual actions of the priest during the ceremony. The second installation—a film of the Jashan ceremony—was performed in the main hall. Children and parents entered quietly and respectfully with their heads covered and were able to witness this important Zoroastrian ritual, many for the first time. The film provided a visual introduction to the ceremony’s structure and spiritual purpose, reinforcing previous Fun Club sessions where the Jashan had been introduced through role play and storytelling.
After the screenings, participants were divided into age-appropriate groups for follow-up discussions and activities. The youngest children took part in an arts activity based on themes from the films, while the older children and teens reflected through poetry and discussion. These sessions were designed to encourage personal expression, critical thinking, and deeper engagement with the content presented. Parents were invited to complete feedback forms, and the children responded to questions about the films and ceremonies and were asked to respond through drawings. The children responded with enthusiasm and it was a privilege to contribute to their journey of understanding and celebrating their Zoroastrian heritage.
Visit of the Minister of Faith, Lord Wajid Khan of Burnley, to the Zoroastrian Centre
On Tuesday, 17th December 2024, the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE) warmly welcomed to the Zoroastrian Centre the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, Lord Wajid Khan of Burnley. Lord Khan, a former Mayor of Burnley and former MEP for North West England in the European Parliament has an extensive academic and political background, with faith and community engagement as a consistent theme.
A short film produced by the University of Westminster showcased the transformation of the Grade II* Zoroastrian Centre. Once the Grosvenor cinema, it has been meticulously restored by the community, as documented through the photographic archive of Robert Douglas-Law of the Cinema Theatre Association (CTA). Dr. Julie Marsh elaborated on how this project fed into the broader RIBA-funded ‘Moving Pictures’ research project, which examines the adaptive reuse of former cinemas as places of worship. The unique heritage value of these adapted sites lies in the creative agency of the communities in reconfiguring them into places of worship. She introduced the inclusive, co-creative approach ‘site-integrity’ to record and safeguard not just the architectural adaptations, but the living practices which layer forms of intangible cultural heritage over the existing historic fabric of these historic buildings.
