It was the place to meet friends for a movie in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, but it's the end of yet another era for the old Center Cinema building at 50 Bunda Street, Civic.
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Owners of Academy Club, which opened at 50 Bunda Street in 2004, have decided to close the nightspot after more than 14 years of operating as a "breeding ground for new musical talent".
Club owner Ryan Sabet said the expiration of the club's lease at the end of April 2018 "just felt right" for the timing of the club's closure.
"The vision was always about bringing to Canberra a nightclub experience that you would find internationally, and about showcasing all kinds of international and national musical talent," Mr Sabet said.
"We absolutely achieved that vision ... the venue really did change the landscape of music in Canberra and provided an outlet for entertainers, creatives and young people generally looking for work to start out in the industry."
Its role in fostering the successful careers of electronic music performers Peking Duk and Safia was among Academy's biggest contributions to Canberra, Mr Sabet said. He said the club held special memories not only for the 18-year-olds who still line up on a Saturday night, but also for Canberrans who danced the night away in the early 2000s and most likely now have kids of their own.
"We obviously wanted to close the club on a high - when people were still feeling the love," he said.
"For each individual there has been a moment that has made Academy Club their home at some point.
"Each person has a unique experience, a unique night they remember there - like the night they met their wife or their boyfriend or their partner or they saw an act that they really loved ... so many really nice memories and wonderful experiences."
Academy owners will now focus exclusively on their other nightclub, Mr Wolf, located in Civic's Sydney Building.
The former Center Cinema building at 50 Bunda Street has been a Civic icon since its construction in 1966.
Italian-Australian architect Enrico Taglietti brought the European concept of underground cinemas to Canberra, designing the building to include restaurants and retailers above ground and a 500-seat cinema beneath.
The cinema operated successfully for more than three decades and was later converted to Academy Club in 2004.
The four-storey 50 Bunda Street building sold to a local family for $9.8 million last May.
Colliers International sales manager Matthew Winter told Fairfax Media at the time of the sale that the syndicate who purchased the building viewed it as a long-term passive investment and had no immediate plans to redevelop the site.
However, the potential to add further floor space to the property or investigate alternative options for it in the long term had appealed to the buyers.
"The CZ1 zoning and crown lease permitted some further development opportunity for the site in the long term - which was part of the appeal," Mr Winter said.
"There are office tenants in the building, and obviously Academy has announced they have moved out but it would still leave a mix of office tenants in the building."
In a simple statement to Fairfax Media, the new owners of 50 Bunda Street said they wished Academy Club's owners "all the best".
"We are sorry that they have decided to call it a day, and were saddened when they notified us that they were not going to seek a new lease," the statement said.
"In relation to future plans for the site - watch this space."
Current tenants at 50 Bunda Street include Shorty's Bar and digital agency Soda Strategic.
