Social Cinema

EMILY WOODALL DESIGN

Short description

The brief was to transform the top level of a grey urban parking lot into a movie theatre space. A design that is modest in its approach, but unique and welcoming to all guests looking to watch a movie under the stars.

We decided to use an abundance of color and print across all surfaces and structures to ensure we created a definitive line between the movie theater and remaining parking lot. As soon as guests enter, we wanted them to feel removed from the overarching landscape and into a creative installation.

The space is inspired by the colorful Art Deco buildings of Miami, symmetry seen in 1920’s architecture, with a hint of 80’s flare using geometric shapes. The combination of the three was the original starting point for the theme of the bar, box office, furniture, lighting, walls, and flooring.

Colored artificial grass with pops of geometric shapes were used create a clear boundary between the entrance to the movie theatre space and the city. Having such a vast amount of flooring to cover was only to our advantage to paint as much color into the spaces as possible.

Being that it is an outdoor rooftop space in Miami, the most difficult design challenge was engineering a space that could withstand 170mph winds. A design that is robust but keep its vibrancy and that won’t tarnish throughout the seasons. We modified shipping containers to house the concessions services, but this also allowed us to add additional print, branding, neon lighting and foliage to the exterior surfaces, which in turn created multiple photo moments for guests to enjoy.