IMAX site 'will be ready'

Bournemouth Council says the former Imax site will be ready for its grand opening tomorrow night. The controversial building was demolished earlier this year.

Thousands of people are expected to attend two free concerts by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the new waterfront entertainment space this weekend.

Bournemouth Council says the former Imax site will be ready for its grand opening tomorrow night. The controversial building was demolished earlier this year. Thousands of people are expected to attend two free concerts at the new waterfront entertainment space this weekend.

It's the end of an era - and one Bournemouth Borough Council might want to forget. The Imax building on the town's seafront is being demolished today to make way for an outdoor events space. Martin Dowse has been following its demise.

Councillor John Beesley, Leader of the Council, said: “This is a historic moment for Bournemouth. Our residents have been telling us for years that they hate the building and would like to see the sea views restored and so I am delighted that we are now in a position to fulfill these wishes.”

The Waterfront building will be carefully dismantled from the outside over the next two months and by the end of March the building will finally be gone. Around 98 per cent of the building will be recycled, much of it locally.

In total 13,500 tonnes of building waste will be removed from site, including 3,000 tonnes of steel and 8,000 tonnes of concrete. 500 tonnes of waste has already been removed from the basement.

Contractors will work from the west elevation moving eastwards, which will result in the main entrance being the first section to be demolished. Two mechanical excavators will work in tandem to shear steel and remove sections bay by bay. You can watch the demolition live on webcam here.

Demolition work is to begin soon on the exterior of the controversial IMAX cinema in Bournemouth in Dorset. Proceedings are due to start with a ceremonial glass smashing. Demolition work began on the inside of the structure last year.