The Kingsway

Woolworths Demolition

 

The demolition of the old Woolworths (background)  and construction of new buildings over Oceana (foreground)

The Old Oceana/Odeon Complex Rebuild

Artist's Impression of New Building

Artist's Impression of New Building

Artist's Impression of New Building

Oceana Demolition, Kingsway

Odeon Outdoor Lighting

There are not many more days left of Swansea's iconic Oceana building on the Kinsway, WIth that in mind, I thought I would capture a quick snap of what is left of the outside lighting that is located beneath the overhang over the front entrance of the building. When it's gone its gone and all that:

Oceana Road Signs

The road  signs outside the Oceana complex are  now in place along the Kingsway and when I walked past the site this afternoon there was a cacophony of hammering and demolition sounds emanating from inside the building. Work taking down the external walls of the building is currently scheduled for the end of this month. Watch this space for further images of the last few weeks of this much-loved building...

Oceana Complex

This has got to be one of Swansea's most iconic buildings. People have fond memories of it in each of its various guises - The Top Rank, Odeon, or Ritzy's with Tesco stretching out along the bottom floor or Oceana, occupying the entire building. I remember it endearingly for being Odeon and Tesco, though also Ritzy's throughout my early student years. It feels sad that it is about to be demolished! Work on the rear and the interior of the building has already started and it won't be too long now before the building disappears from Swansea forever. Here it is though, as it stands on Saturday 27 February 2016:

The place is barricaded up ready for demolition but I managed to find a few spots on its facade where I could sneak a couple of interior shots of the building.

I remember queuing up all these stairs to see Close Encounters of the third kind and numerous other blockbuster films, as a child in the 1970s. My memories of using them when the place was Ritzy' s however are a bit blurred lol.

Seems strange seeing the old Kingsway Tesco I frequented in this state:

Waiting for oblivion - old advertising signs for the Icehouse Bar in the Oceana complex:

Villa Tahiti, located at the far left extremity of the building awaiting demolition:

As they seem to be taking this building down from the back to the front, when they finally get to work on the front of Oceana I imagine the thing will come down very fast indeed. I will try and keep my eye on the building over the next few weeks and hopefully will get the chance of further pictures before it is lost to us forever.