Designing the 21st Century Multiplex

In the past the goal of exhibitors was efficient turnover. They wanted to get patrons in the front door, sell them concessions in the lobby, move them into the theatre and when the movie ended funnel them out as quickly as possible to expedite more screenings per day. Today, in part thanks to digital cinema technology, movie theatres are evolving into community centers. As a result, the modern multiplex is undergoing wholesale change and a critical element of that is the size and shape of the buildings themselves. I recently contacted architects and designers from around the world and asked them to participate in an online Q&A discussion about movie theatre design.

Three men joined the discussion, including: Paul Georges, AIA, associate managing partner, JKR Partners, architects/designers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; William H. Brunner, AIA, ICTA, vice president, Paradigm Design, Grand Rapids, Michigan; and John Sullivan, partner, Cinema Next, cinema & leisure consultancy, London, England.

What follows is that online conversation. I plan to revisit this issue periodically and would especially welcome feedback from exhibitors.

Digital Cinema Report: To start, and in a general sense, in recent years how has theatre design changed?

Paul Georges: Many theatre operators are creating venues that offer alternative uses for the auditoriums. Video conferencing, simulcast showings, and university lecture rooms are just some of the auditorium uses beyond movie presentation. To support these activities, theatre lobbies are designed to include additional gathering and queuing space. Aesthetically, theatres should be designed to reflect this growing trend of offering alternative uses by appealing to a more diverse group of guests/users. We are also finding that many of our new construction theatres are serving as a focal point to larger mixed-use developments, which include retail, restaurant, office, and residential uses. This further reinforces the idea of the movie theatre as community center.

William Brunner: Movie theatre exhibitors are consummate entrepreneurs and competitors.  As such, they are constantly looking for ways to make their presentation more fun, flashy and convenient than the theatre down the street.  We are helping our clients explore many different ways that digital technology can be utilized to bring customers into the doors and to make the experience more rewarding once they have taken a seat.


John Sullivan: There is still a large consumption of traditional popcorn and cola items however, changes in design and emphasis are as much driven on the ageing, discerning, affluent cinema demographic as it is digital technology, if not more so. Village Gold Class screens being rolled out in the USA are still running on a 35mm platform with the odd digital for 3D, however over fifty percent of the spend is on high end food and beverages. [As a result] kitchen/food preparation areas are akin to a large restaurant or hotel provision. I personally don't think digital has even begun to directly affect design because quite simply most operators have not started to see beyond 3D and the VPF deals. My take is that similar to iPhones the applications will follow the role out of digital technology and will then alter things dramatically.

DCR: Digital cinema technology is smaller than traditional 35mm projection systems. What impact is this having on the size and shape of projection booths?

PG: This depends on the comfort level operators have with the reliability of digital projectors. Digital projectors can be controlled from a remote location where access to the projector is no longer required at the start of each showing. For this reason a separate control room, usually located on the ground level for easy access, is provided. For projection equipment trouble shooting and maintenance purposes, how convenient an operator wants access to the projector will dictate to what extent a projection booth is provided. For some, the conventional full width booth over the promenade is still the norm. Other operators are embracing the opportunity to reduce construction costs by suspending the projector in each individual auditorium, doing completely away with the projection booth. In these cases, access to the projector, particularly during a showing, should be considered. We have a project on the boards now where the projector platforms and catwalk linking one platform to the next is a series of metal grates, suspended over the promenade from the roof structure above. At select locations, the platforms and projectors are visible from the promenade making them an architectural feature and part of the movie going experience.

WB: We are seeing two major building impacts in our designs to accommodate projectors due to the change to digital. The first, as you noted, is the smaller area required due to the elimination of the film platter and related film-handling equipment. The reduced area requirement for the projection function allows the space to be programmed for other uses, such as VIP viewing areas or to be eliminated entirely. Digital projectors do not need to be accessed by projection personnel for every show. The elimination of film removes a major logistic problem of carrying and assembling the heavy film cans. We now can design projection areas that are accessed by ladders rather than stairways.  In some cases the traditional projection booth is eliminated entirely, to be replaced by a box suspended at the rear of the auditorium.

JS: Booths? What booths? With a theatre management system there is no need for a booth. Many refurbs being done now are also including new screens with heights of as little as four and a half meters and giving a full cinema experience. These are only possible without the booth. However, larger screens even to full height are potentially deliverable without a booth that requires day-to-day access.

DCR: Studies show that patrons sitting too far off-center may not have a satisfactory 3D experience. How can theatre design address this issue?

PG: As 3D becomes more mainstream and specific information on this subject becomes available to designers, we can look at ways to layout auditoriums that will improve seat position and/or orientation to the screen.

WB: In addition to the type and quality of the projector, the movie viewing experience is affected by the size of the screen, projection format, distance from the screen, distance from the projection centerline, type of screen material, screen geometry, and height of the viewer.  We take all of these factors into consideration when designing an auditorium.  3D projection and the use of silver screens are especially sensitive to distance from the screen along the sides.  Auditoriums designed for 3D recognize this by shifting seats near the screen closer to the projection centerline.

DCR: Screens are getting bigger in many theatres as exhibitors seek a competitive edge over home entertainment and other exhibitors. How is this changing theatre design?

PG: One of the major considerations with big screen formats is ensuring unobstructed views, particularly to the bottom of the screen image. We are finding that to take full advantage of floor to ceiling screens, the platform height, from one row of seats to the next, needs to be increased to maintain the unobstructed views. For existing auditoriums where larger screens are being installed, it is not uncommon having to remove one or two rows of seats at the front of the auditorium to allow for the unobstructed views to the bottom of the screen. Auditoriums are also planned to avoid having to locate exits at the screen wall. Instead we are locating the exits along the sidewalls just in front of the screen. This allows the installation of wall-to-wall screens, utilizing the full width of the auditorium to maximize screen size. As screens increase in size, floor to ceiling heights in the auditoriums are also increasing. To accommodate the increase in height, we are forced to either raise the building heights or dig down at the screen ends of the auditoriums. Local zoning ordinances and costs associated with excavation are two of the factors to consider how to address this issue.

WB: Most theatres we design today include at least one premier large screen auditorium for the openings of major Hollywood blockbusters and wide-appeal alternative content events.   Even smaller houses are designed with larger screens as the old "bowling alley" auditorium design is replaced with proper proportions throughout the multiplex.  We continue to provide the best designs possible to our exhibitors so that a night out at the movies is the best choice for entertainment.


JS: As stated above screens are also getting smaller. Even Imax has now rolled their brand in to smaller screens using twin digital projectors. My feeling is that more operators will replicate the big screen experience using the same technology, however more screens rather than bigger screens is the course that most operators are taking in Europe.

DCR: Drive-in theatres hold a special place in the hearts of exhibitors and moviegoers alike. What, if any, design changes can enhance the viability of the drive-in?

PG: Although it is more of an operational change, introducing alternative activities for both before and after the show can promote a renewed interest in the drive-in theatre experience. Activities that will engage the audience and make the experience more than just going to see a movie, as it is with the typical theatre multiplex, can further encourage attendance. From a design standpoint, drive-in theatres must offer an exciting and inviting environment making the customer feel special. The special experience should start at the entrance gate, carry through to the concessions building, and terminate at the screen. A unique and attractive design should be developed to strengthen the memorable drive-in experience.

WB: Drive-ins are outside our expertise.  If the technology is developed to show an acceptable presentation during daylight hours (not presently possible), we may see a resurgence.

JS: We operate a fully digital drive-in at the Baneasa shopping center [just outside Bucharest, Romania] using a Christie 2000 and beaming a brilliant image 28 meters wide and provision for 300 cars. It is very successful and as far as I know the only one in the world. We are currently under construction with a 13-screen 2,800 seat hard top cinema being incorporated in to a one-million-square-foot-plus shopping center.