An original Masonic Temple that dates back to 1912 is the setting for a series of horror film screenings over the next few months.
The Masonic Temple is inside a recently refurbished hotel that was built in 1884 next to Liverpool Street station, and the Temple added in 1912 by Charles Barry junior and cost £50,000 at the time, which is the equivalent of £4 million today.
Inside of the Masonic Temple there are 12 types of marble, all from Italy, and the grandiose throne-like chairs are heavy mahogany.
However the Hotel struggled in the middle of the 20th century, and it seems that the Temple was forgotten about. When the Andaz hotel was sold for refurbishment in 1996 it was so run-down the previous owners never knew the Temple was there, as it was boarded behind a fake wall.
Today, the restored Temple is used for events, including occasional film screenings.
As part of the East End Film Festival, three screenings are taking place over the next few months.
- THE OMEN (1976) – 25 April 2019
- MANDY (2018) – 30 May 2019
- THE SHINING (1980) – 27 June 2019
Tickets cost from £15 and can be booked here.
There were two Masonic Temples in the Great Eastern Hotel….been in both