Cineworld Glasgow Renfrew Street was a cinema on Renfrew Street, Glasgow, Scotland, located in the north-east of the city centre. The cinema, which was first operated by UGC and then by Cineworld, opened in September 2001 and closed in September 2025. The cinema building is still present and is located next to Buchanan Bus Station and the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
At 62 m (203 ft) tall, the building is the tallest cinema complex in the world.[1][2][3][4] The building is equivalent in height to the 18-storey St Andrew House which stands immediately adjacent.
The cinema was built on the site of The Glasgow Apollo (1973–1985), which was formerly Green's Playhouse (1927–1973). After the Apollo closed in June 1985, it was demolished in September 1987. The cinema was opened as the UGC Cinema on 21 September 2001.[4] In 2005, it became part of the Cineworld chain, when then-owners UGC sold all of its UK cinemas. Green's Playhouse, the original cinema on the site, previously held a record for being Europe's largest cinema in terms of number of seats (4,368). At over 60 metres (200 ft), and with an entry in the Guinness Book of Records, Cineworld Glasgow became the world's tallest cinema. However, during the cinema's construction, the building design came under heavy criticism from the architecture community.
In 2000, the building was designated the "Carbuncle of the Year" in an internet vote organised by Prospect magazine, its panel of judges criticising the design's contrast with the surrounding area.[5]
By 2003 it was the busiest cinema in the United Kingdom by admissions,[6] having attracted over 1.8 million patrons that year.[7] The building has 18 screens over six levels, and can accommodate over 4,300 people.[6] The building's most distinctive feature is the huge glass curtain wall on the east face, which houses a system of criss-crossing escalators which are lit neon blue at night, although some are more drawn to the large elevator which runs up the side of the building.
The cinema building was acquired for a reported £7M in May 2025 by Clydebankbridge Ltd, a subsidiary of Omniplex Cinemas.[8][9] On 24 July 2025 it was reported that the building owner wanted to take back the site.[10] Cineworld confirmed closure of the cinema in August 2025,[11] with the cinema closing following the final screening on 28 September 2025.[12]
There have been no announcements by the owner on the future use of the building.
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