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by Andreas Fuchs
L
OOK…who’s lighting up the night.
Not only has architect Tony Pleskow (www.pleskowarchitects.
com) provided the perfect rendering to
illustrate this year’s design theme, but he
also sets the tone for our endeavor. Most
eloquently, we might add. “At their base
technically,” he says, “cinematic images and
the narratives they create are a function
of light and combinations of transparency,
translucence and opacity. Architecture
shares these phenomena. And to the degree that we can enhance and animate the
user experience using methods shared
with cinema, we have tried to do so.”
October marks the annual Design
& Construction/Lobbies edition of Film
Journal International. As in previous years,
we searched the globe for innovative
ideas and exciting concepts that impress
and inspire. After examining exotic, futuristic and artistic designs (http://bit.
ly/cinemadesigns), we now prepare our
CINEMA ARCHITECTURE THAT
SPARKLES, SHIMMERS AND SHINES
Illuminated
Designs
readers to be illuminated. This article will
cover lighting and lighting effects, reflections, video screens and projections (for
another example, see our Starplex story
in this issue), as well as the use of special
surfaces and materials. Since “the show
starts at the sidewalk,” in the immortal
words of renowned architect S. Charles
Lee, the selected cinema examples lead
guests from the outside in, take them
through the lobby and hallways all the way
inside the auditorium.
The project that Pleskow rendered
for Tom Stephenson’s LOOK Cinemas
envisions 14 screens with one restaurant
and three dining-in theatres. He notes
it was “to be a part of a large lifestyle
development in the Midwest and placed
on one side of a planned central plaza
space. Located above ground-level retail
and restaurants, the goal was to encourage more interaction between the activity
in the plaza and that of the theatre. We
wanted to develop some spatial interaction and go beyond the typical decorated
blank plaster walls we so often associate
with cinema buildings. At the larger scale,
particularly with respect to the plaza, the
use of light within the building—coupled
with a transparent building envelope—
supports the connection between interior
and exterior space.”
Differently colored lights to mark
entry points to the individual cinemas
have already been applied at LOOK Cinemas’ flagship location at Prestonwood
Creek (Addison) in North Dallas, Texas,
which FJI introduced in August of last year
(http://bit.ly/fji0813look). “It’s yet another
cinematic/architectural parallel,” Pleskow
opines. “The notion that you could identify a particular space with more than just a
numeral but also with color and a specific
name or brand, such as the ‘Evolution’
theatre [www.lookcinemas.com/en/dallas/
look/movie-experiences], was interesting
to us. Tom and I feel these subtle design
elements help to enhance the user’s experience in a way that other cinemas no
longer do, but should.”
JKR PARTNERS’ PROPOSED CINEMA CENTER IN STATE COLLEGE, PA., USES COLOR-CHANGING LIGHTS IN THE LOBBY TO ATTRACT ATTENTION.
JKR Partners’ design for a proposed
Cinema Center in State College, Pennsylvania, “utilizes bright neon lights to fill the
large volume of the lobby,” says the firm’s
Robert McCall (www.jkrpartners.com).
The concept of connecting entertainment
with its environment through light and
transparency also applies here. “With large
windows to the outside, the large video
screens paired with the color-changing
lights in the lobby will attract a great deal
of attention to the lively space inside.”
At Regal Moorestown (New Jersey)
Mall Stadium 12 & RPX, a member of our
“Class of 2013,” the equally spacious lobby
“was broken into manageable areas utilizing different types of lighting, from large,
intense floating planes…to more intimate
areas with hanging pendant fixtures.” Of
special note are “the color-changing wall
washers that define the concession queuing” from above the stand. Opened in the
fall of 2004 at the downtown shopping
center of the same name, Regal Gallery
Place 14 in Washington, D.C. already
deployed “color-changing LEDs behind
frosted glass panels” at both its box office
and snack bar. McCall further notes that
these lights “can be programmed to change
colors throughout the day for a dramatic
effect, or stay a constant color depending
on the desired mood” projected across the
multi-story atrium entrance.
GRAPHICS WERE APPLIED TO THE INSIDE OF THE ACRYLIC CLADDING TO CREATE THE EFFECT
OF HUNDREDS OF VIDEO CUBES IN THE LOBBY OF FORMULA KINO CITY IN MOSCOW. BELOW,
THE FIRST VIP IMAX IN RUSSIA, ALSO AT FORMULA KINO, DUBBED “THE IMAX SAPPHIRE.”
At another government seat, halfway
ARCHITECT TONY PLESKOW USES COLORED LIGHTS TO MAKE ENTRY POINTS TO INDIVIDUAL CINEMAS AT LOOK’S FLAGSHIP PRESTON CREEK
IN NORTH DALLAS, TEXAS. “YOU IDENTIFY A PARTICULAR SPACE WITH MORE THAN JUST A NUMERAL BUT ALSO WITH COLOR…”
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OCTOBER 2014
across the world in Moscow, Russia, Formula Kino City marks the transition point
from lively mall to even livelier movies with
a gateway. “The entrance to the cinema
complex features a freestanding illuminated
frame made up of acrylic columns and beam
OCTOBER 2014
WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM
43
illuminated from within.” David Mesbur of
Mesbur+Smith Architects (www.mesbursmith.com) explains how graphics were
applied to the inside of the acrylic cladding
to create the effect of what looks like hundreds of video cubes. “As in many of our
designs, lighting is used to great advantage
to enliven the spaces economically. In our
cinemas, we love exploring lighting effects
to best advantage.” In recent years, Mesbur
says “the development of specialty lighting
such as LED rope lighting which simulates
neon” has enriched the possibilities for
architects and designers. “New systems for
step lighting concealed in handrails, and directional and focusable spotlights are among
the tools we use to create dramatic lighting
effects to enhance our interior designs.”
Formula Kino’s ten-plex also features
the first VIP IMAX in Russia, Mesbur adds.
“Dubbed the ‘IMAX Sapphire,’ the auditorium offers luxurious seating, in-theatre food
service and unsurpassed level of comfort
for patrons. While seating only 50 people,
the cinema offers a true IMAX experience
for a whopping ticket price of nearly $100!”
While many a light bulb is going up on pricing right now, the auditorium design itself is
more in line with our topic. “The interior
THE CURVATURE OF THE CEILING AND USE OF LIGHTING DEFINES THE SPACE AT CAVEA IN TBILISI.
is essentially a black box,” he elaborates,
“with all the decorative effects achieved
solely through innovative lighting. This includes sculpted acoustic sound panels with
concealed lights framing the IMAX logo,
and tiny pin spots in the handrails in front of
each seating row which subtly illuminate the
walking path to the seats.”
At 434 seats, the IMAX auditorium at
Cavea Cinema in Tbilisi is more traditional
in size. Everything else about the nineplex, including the VIP screen, Mesbur
says, “is the first of its kind in Georgia,”
however. “The interior was inspired by
the expressive landscape of the country.
The shape of the hills can be easily identified in the ceiling treatment and the pattern on the floor resembles the valleys.
The curvature of the ceiling and the use
of lighting create not only open space, but
more intimate spaces as well. The floor
pattern guides patrons to the auditoriums.
The choice of materials, shapes, colors
and lighting effects perfectly blends our
inspiration with our client’s vision.”
TK Architects’ work for China Film
“WE USED LINEAR COVE LIGHTING TO ACCENTUATE THE ‘TOPOGRAPHY,’” SAYS MIKE CUMMINGS
OF TK ARCHITECTS, WHICH LOOKED TO THE LOCAL LANDSCAPE AS INSPIRATION FOR CHINA
FILM’S DONGWAN YITIAN CINEMA IN GUANG DONG PROVINCE.
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in Guang Dong province, China, was also
inspired by the land. “We used linear cove
lighting to accentuate each ‘topography’
line and to make the space feel unique and
high-tech, dynamic and contemporary,”
Mike Cummings notes about Dongwan
Yitian Cinema. For this eight-plex, the
construction documents are currently
being developed by their office in Beijing
(www.tkarch.com), he reports. “These
lines guide the user through the space and
open up at key points of interaction—like
OCTOBER 2014
SOFT CURVES AND BRIGHT COLORS “CREATE A JOYFUL ATMOSPHERE,” SAYS DAVID MESBUR
OF MESBUR+SMITH ARCHITECTS ABOUT THE KINOFORMAT RAHAT CENTER IN ORSK, RUSSIA.
the box office and concession—to reveal
a bright, faceted, focal point” in the ceiling above and on the walls, as well as the
entrance to each individual auditorium.
“Our intention is to create something
eye-catching to draw patrons’ attention.”
That very eye-catcher is, in fact, made
of acrylic panels that are illuminated by
spotlights from behind. After Moscow’s
sapphire, this highlight might very well be
called a ruby gem.
“The linear topography concept is
compatible with the curvilinear forms
of the shopping center,” Cummings
says, explaining how it all fits in with
the environment. Although the center
is executed in white tones, “China Film
prefers a darker color palette and reflective surfaces. So, our design utilized a
black background and reflective surfaces
before introducing the brightly colored
focal elements and lighting.”
Back in Russia, all of the above techniques can be found at KinoFormat Rahat
Center in Orsk as well. “The curved and
soft line movements in lobby and corridor create a joyful atmosphere,” with
additional highlights coming along the way.
Mesbur explains that the six auditoriums
were already under construction when his
OCTOBER 2014
firm came to the project. “Our role was
to create a dynamic interior concept for
the lobby and public spaces,” says Mesbur.
He continues, “Concession, ticket
booth, cinema entrances and game zone
are highlighted by bright green colors.
From the walls to floors and ceilings,
there are layers of magenta light along
with the curved lines, which light up
MESBUR+SMITH USE LIGHTING AND CONTRAST IN CINECO’S SEEF MALL, BAHRAIN.
the plain black and white surfaces.
The reflections of ceiling lights on
the shiny surface of the floor provide
waves of light which accentuate the
sense of movement in the corridors.”
In another design move, “waiting areas
are decorated with dazzling fixtures and
decorations to create a distinct space
for sitting.”
A New World of Possibilities Awaits
Architecture . Conceptual Design . Interior Design . Engineering
www.tkarch.com . 816.842.7552
WWW.FILMJOURNAL.COM
45
The full-out reworking of Berlin’s
BERLIN’S GIANT ZOO PALAST USES COLORED BULBS ON THE STAGE FLOOR AS WELL AS DIMMABLE
NEON LIGHTS IN THE WALLS AND CEILING TO TURN THE CINEMA ITSELF INTO AN ART WORK.
For their renovations at Cineco’s
ten-plex at Seef Mall in Manama, Bahrain,
Mesbur+Smith were tasked “to create
an eye-catching, bright environment in
contrast with the existing dark and dull
space.” This was created, David Mesbur
says, “by the white color of the ceiling
and shiny surface of floors which reflect
the rays of light. Large-size screens
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and video walls are also providing
entertaining atmosphere for the main
lobby.” Once again, colored light
accentuates parts central to the space,
including the cinema entrances. “Floor
patterns and extra-large stainless-steel
numbering…on the black background
are helping the visitors to easily find the
cinema halls.”
great and wonderful Zoo Palast that
we chronicled in detail back in March
(http://bit.ly/fji0314zoopal) reveals how
illuminating the actual cinema can be
an art unto itself. In 2008, Zoo Palast
operator Hans-Joachim Flebbe first
used LED lighting to accentuate the
stylistic properties of yet another classic
venue in Berlin—the Astor Film Lounge
(http://bit.ly/fji0712astor)—and has
since perfected the art and technique
as part of his Premium Entertainment
offerings in Frankfurt and Cologne (www.
astor-filmlounge.de). Seeing the giant
Zoo Palast light up is further homage
to the original 1950s setup there, which
included bulbs in different colors on the
stage floor that illuminated its threelayer curtains, as well as marking its
ceiling and wall alcoves with dimmable
neon. (And, no, it did not flicker.) What
Flebbe brought back to the Zoo Palast
represents a much-needed reminder
about the meaning of Lichtspiele, a more
formal German word for movie theatre
than Kino. “Play/Games of Light” was,
in fact, the very inspiration for this
overview.
As if Dolby Atmos and creating a
night sky illusion in the 850-seat main
house today were not enough to create
atmosphere and ambiance, Flebbe and his
designer/architecture team also installed
a waterfall curtain. This part of the
curtain-raiser ceremony is played before
each show
We close our “Illuminated Designs”
overview with a summary by David Mesbur. “The interiors of modern multiplex
cinemas convey a sense of excitement,
anticipation and wonder. This can be
accomplished through the creative use
of colors, materials and architectural
forms, enriched by innovative lighting…
Effective use of lighting establishes the
desired mood and ambience of the cinema interior, both in public spaces and in
auditoriums.”
Zoo Palast photos © Jan Bitter; all other
photos and renderings were provided by the
respective architectural firms for the project.
OCTOBER 2014