Movie House
The Movie House was defined to favor and focus an increased effervescence of the Romanian movie industry, which lately has bloomed on the European and even international stage. The project is meant to accommodate Cluj-Napoca’s numerous film festivals. It also houses a multiplex and spaces where the movie, as an art form, becomes an exhibit on itself.
The building is located near the center of the city, in “Gheorgheni” district, one of the “greenest” residential neighborhoods in Cluj-Napoca. The primary elements close to the site are the “Gheorgheni” Lake, the area’s main attraction, and a big commercial and business center. The solution for the “Film House” was conceived so that it facilitates pedestrian movement and offers people new perspectives towards the natural landscape. Also, a close relation to the water was targeted. The project has three major parts: the multiplex, the movie museum and the learning center (a media the que and a conference hall).
The overall shape is meant to be an expression of dynamism and kinetics, and it was defined in a close relation with the site’s characteristics. A substantial volume floats over a transparent structure. Underneath this crystal-like atrium, there is another level with the mediatheque and the conference spaces. The overall functional organization is a metaphor for moviemaking. It starts from underground, the learning center, and then it all ascends, goes through the movie museum, establishes references with other cultural or creative dimensions, and in the end, it is assimilated by the public, the final purpose of the whole process.
As in any project, it all started with a detailed analysis of the site and the interactions between it and the potential building. First draft was made with Sketchup then I used Rhinoceros for 3d and AutoCAD for plans, sections, elevations. The raw renders were made with V-ray in Rhinoceros, and then I used Photoshop for post-production.
Movie House was my Master Thesis project, and the outcome was quite good, at the end ( 9,68 from 10). It was a very difficult project, with a sophisticated program bringing together many functions (museum, mediatheque, multiplex, educational, offices, commercial). Sometimes a daunting experience but, I realized later, a very useful one.
