Renovations Continue at Former NPH Cinema

T-Squared Social, the new development within the building that once housed New Picture House (NPH) Cinema, is progressing with renovations despite delays and continued controversy over ownership and the loss of St Andrews’ only cinema. The multi-purpose luxury sports bar was initially projected to open in Spring 2025, but with construction still underway — and no re-estimated projection from real estate partner NEXUS — there remains uncertainty as to what lies ahead for the venue.

The brand, founded by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake with investment from the NEXUS Luxury Collection, launched in Midtown Manhattan in September 2023. Prior to NPH Cinema’s official closure on 19 September 2024, the cinema had consistently retained an occupancy of about 10% capacity at any given showtime. The brand’s St Andrews expansion involves converting much of the NPH Cinema into a luxury sports bar with golf simulators, a lounge, and a redesigned cinema space. Two of the three screens will remain, reducing capacity from 700 to 350.

Signs displaying ‘Justin Timberlake x Tiger Woods’ across the sides of the building were installed this week. 

The ownership transition has sparked mixed reactions from students and locals amid concerns that small-business buyouts prioritise tourists over residents. In 2023, former student Ash Johann Curry-Machado launched a petition, “Save the New Picture House Cinema,” gaining 12,371 supporters.  

The St Andrews Film Society has been among the strongest opponents of the T-Squared Social development. President Lily Burton told The Saint, “As a society, we campaigned tirelessly to save our cinema a couple years ago. The club reached out to us this summer to ask if we wanted to do social events there but Film Soc will not be having anything to do with the venue once it opens and will continue to use the DCA [Dundee Contemporary Arts centre] as our go-to venue.” 

“We really care about student arts experiences in St Andrews and [...] over the years they have been systematically stripped from us in favour of business opportunities,” Burton added. “Film Soc’s role in St Andrews is important as a social [...] space, but now [...] I also feel in the shadow of our cinema being refurbished to prioritise golfers. We have a job to make a loud statement that we as a student body will continue to ensure our own access to arts if the [University] and town will not protect that access for us.”

Film Society Events Manager Lewis Eglinton and Secretary Luke Laredo both reminisced on their NPH Cinema experiences during a showing of Rocky Horror on 22 September in St Salvator’s School II. 

“Most people are mourning it, because they can't go see [...] the latest blockbusters in the cinema,” said Eglinton. “People didn't show up to see the smaller movies, the smaller films. And that's what really keeps the cinema alive. It's really up to [...] the students and the locals to keep something like that alive. Unfortunately, it's a for-profit business. We fill the gap in a way, but we're just two, maybe three screens a week [...] we're not gonna have the newest movies.” 

Laredo shared similar sentiments: “Practicalities aside, it's a huge loss for the town, because I don't think this new bar [will] add anything to the town that it didn't already have, whereas a cinema really does.”

The society has also received a wave of enquiries, reflecting wider concern over the cinema’s future. “During Fresher’s Fayre, when [we were] setting the table, the most common question we actually got asked was, ‘Do you know when the cinema is gonna be open again?’, ‘Do you know what’s going on with the cinema?’” said Eglinton. 

For its twice-weekly screenings, the Film Society will continue using the DCA after T-Squared Social opens, though the society stresses that this does not replace the loss of a dedicated town cinema.

“Ironically, I think the actual cinema section of the NPH was bigger than the one in the DCA, [...] especially the main screen with the two floors,” said Laredo.“But [...] you lose the [...] thing of people just going to the cinema […] You don't get that feeling of walking into a cinema lobby, and [...] there's the popcorn machine on one side, and the ticket booth. When you walk in and someone checks your ticket, it's a bit more like [when] you go to a museum where there happens to be a cinema.”

“When you went to the cinema here in St Andrews, you would always recognise people — people from your classes, from societies, people who you see there every week. When you go [and see a film, it was just that nice feeling of ‘I could chat to someone.’ That's just completely lost [from] the town,” Eglinton told The Saint.

As Laredo put it, “One cinema over none is way better than 35 pubs over 34.”

The Saint sought comment from NEXUS and the T-Squared Social affiliate. However, no response was received before the time of this article’s publication.

Image by Manraj Gill