THE great grandson of the architect who designed Bradford’s former Odeon has paid a visit to the iconic building ahead of work commencing to convert it into a live music venue.

Local architect William Illingworth designed the twin-towered building which opened in 1930 as the New Victoria theatre.

Yesterday his great grandson Tim Illingworth was given a guided tour and was pleased to see the inside of the building first hand.

The 50-year-old, who lives in Bingley, said he used to watch films there when it was the Odeon cinema.

“It’s great to visit it now and see what is behind the Odeon’s shell. It’s a like a building within a building, the Odeon, and that has seen the original theatre preserved very well.”

He added: “I think with it sitting where it is next to the Alhambra, had it been demolished, it would have been a crying shame.

“This is exactly what Bradford needs - its heritage preserving. The fact that the building is going to be brought back to its original roots, is fantastic.”

Bradford Live is behind the £20 million redevelopment of the building, having partnered with operator the NEC Group to create a 4,000 capacity music venue, which is scheduled to open in late 2020.

Preparatory building works are expected to begin next month, including a full strip-out of the 1960s cinema, false ceilings and partitions, which will allow the full size and height of the auditorium to be viewed.

Lee Craven of Bradford Live, said: “William Illingworth is one of the unsung heroes of Bradford and the more you find out about him, the more impressive his legacy is.”

He added that once the cinema and false ceilings had been stripped out it would be a first chance for the design team to see the full space involved.

Planning permission will be sought and the main construction is anticipated to start next summer, with the venue scheduled to open in late 2020.

The 1930s building, next to the Alhambra Theatre, has been vacant since the Odeon cinema closed in 2000. At one point it was due to have been demolished to make way for a new development, but was eventually saved and its ownership transferred to Bradford Council.