Gone are the times when a visit to the cinema was solely concerning the movie. Whereas motion pictures (in fact) stay central to the expertise, cinemas are remodeling into well-equipped areas the place audiences can linger earlier than, throughout, and after a screening. And with movies turning into longer (take Brady Corbet’s three-hour-long The Brutalist, with a built-in 15-minute intermission), flimsy plastic chairs merely received’t do. Architects are more and more tasked with creating cinematic environments so putting, they may very well be scenes within the movies themselves. Preserve studying for Wallpaper*’s edit of must-see cinemas with award-worthy design.
One of the best cinema design all over the world
Busan Cinema Centre
Busan Cinema Centre, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au
(Picture credit score: Images by Duccio Malagamba)

Busan Cinema Centre, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Coop Himmelb(l)au)
The Busan Cinema Centre, dwelling to the South Korean metropolis’s annual Worldwide Movie Competition, is a melting pot of wealthy cultural applications, leisure, and structure. The complicated, which opened in 2012 and was designed by the Viennese structure studio Coop Himmelb(l)au, options an interaction of out of doors and indoor areas sheltered by two roofs, whose exterior ceilings are clad with LED panels. The mission received the Worldwide Structure Award and the Chicago Athenaeum in 2007, alongside the Guinness World Document for the ‘longest cantilever roof’ on the earth. The principle constructing, often called Cinema Mountain, serves as a multipurpose leisure centre, housing a three-screen multiplex, which incorporates one 400-seat and two 200-seat cinemas, in addition to a 1,000-seat multifunctional theatre.
Busan Cinema Centre is positioned at 120 Suyeonggangbyeon-daero, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea; dureraum.org
Cinema Godard at Fondazione Prada, Milan

Cinema Godard at Fondazione Prada, designed by OMA
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Fondazione Prada)

Cinema Godard at Fondazione Prada, designed by OMA
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Fondazione Prada)
Fondazione Prada has lengthy been engaged with the world of transferring photographs, partnering with iconic filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar, Danny Boyle, and Ava DuVernay, whereas additionally supporting conservation and funding initiatives. The muse’s ardour for cinema is palpable, with the bar at its Milan location designed by American filmmaker Wes Anderson. True to type, its in-house cinema additionally impresses. Designed by Dutch structure studio OMA, which additionally created the remainder of the 2015 complicated, the multimedia auditorium options distinctive olive-green velvet chairs by AMO, OMA’s analysis arm, and movable partitions that merge indoor and out of doors areas. In late 2023, the cinema was renamed Cinema Godard in tribute to the influential Franco-Swiss director.
Cinema Godard is positioned at Fondazione Prada, L.go Isarco, 2, 20139 Milano, Italy; ticketing.fondazioneprada.org
Cineteca Madrid

Cineteca Madrid, designed by Churtichaga + Quadra-Salcedo
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Churtichaga + Quadra-Salcedo)

Cineteca Madrid, designed by Churtichaga + Quadra-Salcedo
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Churtichaga + Quadra-Salcedo)
A former Twentieth-century slaughterhouse is an unlikely setting for an ultra-modern cinema, however Spanish architects Churtichaga + Quadra-Salcedo definitely made it work. The 14-year-old Cineteca Madrid contains a three-floor movie archive, a studio, two cinemas, places of work, a canteen, and a summer season movie patio. Whereas darkish gray wood panels and neon lighting appear at odds with the constructing’s historical past, uncovered bricks and preserved options combine completely with the futuristic design. The standout component right here is the permeable basket buildings that filter orange LED gentle and double as lamps. In the primary screening room, these baskets cowl the partitions and ceiling, casting a comfortable orange glow till the movie begins, leaving solely a black floor.
Cineteca is positioned at Pl. de Legazpi, 8, Arganzuela, 28045 Madrid, Spain; cinetecamadrid.com
Cineum Cannes

Cineum Cannes, designed by Rudy Ricciotti
(Picture credit score: Shopper: SAS Compagnie Cinématographique Cannoise; Architect: Rudy Ricciotti )

Cineum Cannes, designed by Rudy Ricciotti
(Picture credit score: Shopper: SAS Compagnie Cinématographique Cannoise; Architect: Rudy Ricciotti )
Nestled within the western district of La Bocca, Cineum Cannes stuns with a sculptural façade that fuses modern strains and futuristic curves – the brainchild of French architect Rudy Ricciotti and Israeli designer Arik Levy. Cineum is the primary cinema in Europe to function the state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos sound system. The complicated additional brings out town’s love for cinema with an immersive gallery and exhibition house devoted to showcasing the behind-the-scenes of flicks.
Cineum Cannes is positioned at 13 Av. Maurice Chevalier, 06150 Cannes, France; cineum.fr
Curzon Camden, London

Curzon Camden, designed by Takero Shimazaki Architects
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Takero Shimazaki Architects)

Curzon Camden, designed by Takero Shimazaki Architects
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Takero Shimazaki Architects)
Curzon is the go-to selection for Londoners craving an arthouse expertise in a modern setting. Among the many group’s flagship venues in Mayfair and Soho, Curzon Camden stands out with its distinctive comfortable pink and green-hued design by Takero Shimazaki Architects, additionally liable for Curzon Bloomsbury. Located simply off Camden Excessive Avenue, the cinema is tucked beneath Railway Viaduct 4, forming one aspect of a slim alley. It options 5 intimate screens, every seating 30 friends, alongside public areas like a café and a preferred New York-style bar. A mix of galvanized metallic, plywood, structural metal, stone, and render creates a dynamic mixture of textures, gentle, and shadow, providing a lush and welcoming environment.
Curzon Camden is positioned at Arches N7 – N14, Dockray Pl, London NW1 8QD, UK; curzon.com
The Gem Cinema, Jaipur

The Gem Cinema, designed by Lakshmi Kumar Kasliwal
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of The Gem Cinema)
The Gem Cinema, dreamed up by its founder, the late Lakshmi Kumar Kasliwal, and engineer PK Lauria, opened in 1964 with distinctive Artwork Deco components and a 1,145-seat capability. That includes a state-of-the-art 70MM Stereophonic TODD AO sound system, it was solely the second cinema in India to supply this superior know-how on the time. After closing in 2005 as a result of rise of multiplexes, the cinema reopened in 2019 for the Jaipur Worldwide Movie Competition with minimal modifications. Spanning 18,000 sq ft, it stays Rajasthan’s largest theatre and humanities venue. Now operated by Kasliwal’s son, the cinema upholds its custom of screening a single movie at a time – with its daring geometric design, vibrant colors, and compulsory curtain roll intact.
The Gem Cinema is positioned at Mirza Ismail Rd, Bapu Bazar, Biseswarji, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302003, India; @thegemcinema
Pálás Cinema, Galway

Pálás Cinema, designed by dePaor Architects
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of dePaor Architects)

Pálás Cinema, designed by dePaor Architects
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of dePaor Architects)
Pálás Cinema, envisioned by Irish studio dePaor Architects, sits on the coronary heart of Galway’s previous city and occupies the location of a former service provider home and backyard. Comprising three screens, a bar, and a café, it creatively integrates into the plot by means of a redesigned façade that enhances each the streetscape and back-of-house areas, together with a brand new courtyard lobby. The constructing, with its slate pyramid roof and weathervane, stretches past Georgian plot boundaries. Product of bolstered concrete, it incorporates cantilevered partitions and staircases, permitting ample pure gentle. Every cinema is adorned in pink material, with the underside draped, the center ruched, and the highest following the roof’s pitch.
Pálás Cinema is positioned at 15 Retailers Rd Decrease, Galway, H91 F6DF, Eire; palas.ie
Wushang Mall Worldwide Cinema

Wushang Mall Worldwide Cinema, designed by One Plus Partnership
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of One Plus Partnership)

Wushang Mall Worldwide Cinema, designed by One Plus Partnership
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of One Plus Partnership)
For Wushang Mall Worldwide Cinema, Hong Kongese structure studio One Plus Partnership drew inspiration from the theme of a bustling metropolis, with design selections mirroring an summary city panorama. The foyer options irregular, road-like shapes and intersecting strains, symbolising streets and skyscrapers. In the meantime, the open ticket workplace and bar, linked by ramps, mimic a free-flowing metropolis format. Stone patterns are integrated into metallic panels, materials, and carpets, making a pure, textured environment. This extends into the auditoriums, the place the earthy colors – orange-brown and pink stone patterns – are used on sound-absorbing surfaces.
Wushang Mall Worldwide Cinema is positioned at Jiefang Avenue No.690 Wuhan Worldwide Plaza C Block Ground 7F Jianghan, Wuhan, Hubei China; meituan.com
Supply: Wallpaper