Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design

Gone are the days when a trip to the cinema was solely about the film. While movies (of course) remain central to the experience, cinemas are transforming into well-equipped spaces where audiences can linger before, during, and after a screening. And with films becoming longer (take Brady Corbet’s three-hour-long The Brutalist, with a built-in 15-minute intermission), flimsy plastic chairs simply won’t do. Architects are increasingly tasked with creating cinematic environments so striking, they could be scenes in the films themselves. Keep reading for Wallpaper*’s edit of must-see cinemas with award-worthy design.

The best cinema design around the world

Busan Cinema Centre

The Busan Cinema Centre, home to the South Korean city’s annual International Film Festival, is a melting pot of rich cultural programs, entertainment, and architecture. The complex, which opened in 2012 and was designed by the Viennese architecture studio Coop Himmelb(l)au, features an interplay of outdoor and indoor spaces sheltered by two roofs, whose exterior ceilings are clad with LED panels. The project won the International Architecture Award and the Chicago Athenaeum in 2007, alongside the Guinness World Record for the ‘longest cantilever roof’ in the world. The main building, known as Cinema Mountain, serves as a multipurpose entertainment centre, housing a three-screen multiplex, which includes one 400-seat and two 200-seat cinemas, as well as a 1,000-seat multifunctional theatre.

Busan Cinema Centre is located at 120 Suyeonggangbyeon-daero, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea; dureraum.org

Cinema Godard at Fondazione Prada, Milan

Fondazione Prada has long been engaged with the world of moving images, partnering with iconic filmmakers like Pedro Almodóvar, Danny Boyle, and Ava DuVernay, while also supporting conservation and funding initiatives. The foundation’s passion for cinema is palpable, with the bar at its Milan location designed by American filmmaker Wes Anderson. True to form, its in-house cinema also impresses. Designed by Dutch architecture studio OMA, which also created the rest of the 2015 complex, the multimedia auditorium features distinctive olive-green velvet chairs by AMO, OMA’s research arm, and movable walls that merge indoor and outdoor spaces. In late 2023, the cinema was renamed Cinema Godard in tribute to the influential Franco-Swiss director.

Cinema Godard is located at Fondazione Prada, L.go Isarco, 2, 20139 Milano, Italy; ticketing.fondazioneprada.org

Cineteca Madrid

A former 20th-century slaughterhouse is an unlikely setting for an ultra-modern cinema, but Spanish architects Churtichaga + Quadra-Salcedo certainly made it work. The 14-year-old Cineteca Madrid comprises a three-floor film archive, a studio, two cinemas, offices, a canteen, and a summer film patio. While dark grey wooden panels and neon lighting seem at odds with the building’s history, exposed bricks and preserved features integrate perfectly with the futuristic design. The standout element here is the permeable basket structures that filter orange LED light and double as lamps. In the main screening room, these baskets cover the walls and ceiling, casting a soft orange glow until the film begins, leaving only a black surface.

Cineteca is located at Pl. de Legazpi, 8, Arganzuela, 28045 Madrid, Spain; cinetecamadrid.com

Cineum Cannes

Nestled in the western district of La Bocca, Cineum Cannes stuns with a sculptural façade that fuses sleek lines and futuristic curves – the brainchild of French architect Rudy Ricciotti and Israeli designer Arik Levy. Cineum is the first cinema in Europe to feature the state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos sound system. The complex further brings out the city’s love for cinema with an immersive gallery and exhibition space dedicated to showcasing the behind-the-scenes of movies.

Cineum Cannes is located at 13 Av. Maurice Chevalier, 06150 Cannes, France; cineum.fr

Curzon Camden, London

Curzon is the go-to choice for Londoners craving an arthouse experience in a sleek setting. Among the group’s flagship venues in Mayfair and Soho, Curzon Camden stands out with its distinctive soft pink and green-hued design by Takero Shimazaki Architects, also responsible for Curzon Bloomsbury. Situated just off Camden High Street, the cinema is tucked beneath Railway Viaduct 4, forming one side of a narrow alley. It features five intimate screens, each seating 30 guests, alongside public spaces like a café and a popular New York-style bar. A blend of galvanized metal, plywood, structural steel, stone, and render creates a dynamic mix of textures, light, and shadow, offering a lush and welcoming atmosphere.

Curzon Camden is located at Arches N7 - N14, Dockray Pl, London NW1 8QD, UK; curzon.com

The Gem Cinema, Jaipur

The Gem Cinema, dreamed up by its founder, the late Lakshmi Kumar Kasliwal, and engineer PK Lauria, opened in 1964 with distinctive Art Deco elements and a 1,145-seat capacity. Featuring a state-of-the-art 70MM Stereophonic TODD AO sound system, it was only the second cinema in India to offer this advanced technology at the time. After closing in 2005 due to the rise of multiplexes, the cinema reopened in 2019 for the Jaipur International Film Festival with minimal changes. Spanning 18,000 sq ft, it remains Rajasthan’s largest theatre and arts venue. Now operated by Kasliwal’s son, the cinema upholds its tradition of screening a single film at a time – with its bold geometric design, vibrant colours, and obligatory curtain roll intact.

The Gem Cinema is located at Mirza Ismail Rd, Bapu Bazar, Biseswarji, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302003, India; @thegemcinema

Pálás Cinema, Galway

Pálás Cinema, envisioned by Irish studio dePaor Architects, sits at the heart of Galway’s old town and occupies the site of a former merchant house and garden. Comprising three screens, a bar, and a café, it creatively integrates into the plot through a redesigned façade that enhances both the streetscape and back-of-house areas, along with a new courtyard foyer. The building, with its slate pyramid roof and weathervane, stretches beyond Georgian plot boundaries. Made of reinforced concrete, it incorporates cantilevered walls and staircases, allowing ample natural light. Each cinema is adorned in red fabric, with the bottom draped, the middle ruched, and the top following the roof’s pitch.

Pálás Cinema is located at 15 Merchants Rd Lower, Galway, H91 F6DF, Ireland; palas.ie

Wushang Mall International Cinema

For Wushang Mall International Cinema, Hong Kongese architecture studio One Plus Partnership drew inspiration from the theme of a bustling city, with design choices mirroring an abstract urban landscape. The lobby features irregular, road-like shapes and intersecting lines, symbolising streets and skyscrapers. Meanwhile, the open ticket office and bar, connected by ramps, mimic a free-flowing city layout. Stone patterns are incorporated into metal panels, fabrics, and carpets, creating a natural, textured atmosphere. This extends into the auditoriums, where the earthy colours – orange-brown and red stone patterns – are used on sound-absorbing surfaces.

Wushang Mall International Cinema is located at Jiefang Avenue No.690 Wuhan International Plaza C Block Floor 7F Jianghan, Wuhan, Hubei China; meituan.com