By Theresa English, TK Architects International
June, 2015
I always enjoy the moment at the end of the previews when an exhibitor asks patrons to silence their mobile devices, my excitement stems from knowing that in the next moment the main show is going to start. While the debate regarding technology in an Auditorium continues, see TK blog CineAsia & Interactivity Report, one place technology definitely belongs is in construction and facilitating communication between the field and the designers/engineers. As Mike Cummings, TKA Principal, has noted in Future of Movie Theatres the US is home to a mature stock of theaters. Theater construction of new facilities remains strong but supporting that base of new growth are mature facilities that have aged and are ready to be reinvigorated. Renovation projects are critical to refreshing patron’s perception of a location and recapturing market share in competitive markets. These projects can be tough on the construction team due to lack of original drawings, differences in construction and mini-modifications that add up over time. Invariably renovation projects are going to contain moments of mystery that leave the team gob-smacked. “I had no idea when we opened this wall, we would find….” (fill in your experience of choice) or “the existing drawings show something completely different and that is not what we are seeing in front of us.” As an Architect having my engineers integrated into my project and in my office gives me a more expansive tool bag to address the curve balls a renovation can throw at the design and construction team. Adding technology into the kit means that resolving these mysteries utilizing creative solutions is just a click away. Occasionally, the best sleuthing really is a site visit.
Here are a few cases that have recently been cleared by my Sherlocks, ahem engineers and our construction partners.
By Irina Kobzeva-Pavlovic, TK Architects International
June, 2015
One of the common themes at the CinemaCon in Las Vegas this year seemed to be addressing the issue of decreasing cinema attendance of the young generation. It has become a challenge for filmmakers and exhibitors to involve those born right before and after 90’s due to various reasons (Patrick Von Sychowski).
“It has become a challenge for filmmakers and exhibitors to involve those born right before and after 90’s…”
MPAA Report/Statistics, 2014
Per Capita Attendance by MPAA, Trends in Per Capita Attendance. 2014 Theatrical Statistics Summary (14).
According to 2014 Theatrical Statistics Summary (Complete Report Can be Viewed Here) by Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the share of moviegoers under age 50 has slowed down. The amounts of tickets sold for ages between 18-40, as well as per capital by same age, has continued to decrease over the years as well.
What may be contributing to these alarming trends? (more…)
The movie business is a very unusual business model with interdependent but separate industries. One is the studios that make the content whose objective is to maximize the return on their investment. The other is exhibitors whose objective is to maximize their profit on the theatrical release portion of the movie cycle… The future of exhibition will remain incredibly optimistic as long as they continue to develop contemporary entertainment facilities that appeal to their customer base. I remain impressed by how well exhibitors understand their customers and strive to serve them in the design of their cinemas…
By David R. Taylor, P.E.
February 2015
In 1904, the Iroquois Theater in Chicago had a devastating fire which was the deadliest theater fire in United States history. Its aftermath caused code officials to rethink many things including the presence of wood in a theater. Wood was quickly removed from most construction projects as the primary framing and relegated behind other building materials. However over the course of the last decade and now into the 21st Century, our fire codes are quite complex and very well thought out.
Now in 2015, theater renovations are becoming more and more common place in the U.S. With R.S. Means (Ref.#1) reporting the national average (as of 2013) cost of a “new build” to be $165 per square foot, most theater owners are looking to upgrade existing theaters at much lower costs where the costs range from $65 to 85 per square foot. (Ref.#3) (more…)
