The Pathe multi-cinema complex is a part of the entertainment centre that is being developed near the Amsterdam ArenA. Situated opposite the busy south-east district metropolitan underground and railway station, the Phate Theatre was the first building to be realized at the beginning of the pedestrain boulevard that links the Amsterdamse Poort – the largest shopping centre in south-east Amsterdam – to the ArenA.
The cinema complex has the shape of a huge closed box, clad with perfofated stainless steel panels. The enormous glass incision at the front starts as the entrance, and rising along the facade, parallel with the staircase, subsequently lays the building completely bare, allowing passers-by a hallucinating glimpse of its dramatic innards.
Inside, under the fine-meshed steel nets that form the belly of the main hall, the spacious lobby – which contains no pillars – displays the dynamics of modern theatre business: voluptuous box office, spacy consumption counters, glass display cases on the wall with the characteristic rooster logo against an exuberant yellow background; but the most theatrical component is the brilliant showbizz staircase, from which fluorescent neon light tumbles downwards like
a waterfall in ever-changing waves of colour. In the midst of the stream of light, an interminable escalator winds its way upwards to where a glass survival footbridge leads to the ultimate film feast.
Most of the auditoriums are clustered in an L-shape around the foyer over two floors. Alttough 80% of the building has been built in concrete as a consequence of this situation above the undergound car park, the main hall is equipped with an extraordinary steel construction to enable support without pillars. As a result, the hall seems to float above the entrance lobby and the effect of the open incision in the facade is opimized.
An office floor has been suspended under the roof construction, high above the foyer. The pillars around the light courts on this floor serve as points of suspension. These patios make it possible to enjoy the events and liveliness in the foyer from the fourth floor. All the film projectors are located in two zones, so that only 2 operators are required to manage the halls. This set-up also makes it possible to show exactly the same film in all the halls with only a couple of seconds’ time difference.
opdrachtgever/client:
Pathe Theatres BV,
Amsterdamprogramma/programme:
14 bioscoopzalen/
movie theatres
3250 pers./pers.architect/architect:
Frits van Dongen,
de Architekten Cie.projectteam/project team:
P. Puljiz, M. Heesterbeek,
H. de Haas, F. Verwij,
R. van Gaans, A. Bandelowaannemer/contractor:
Bouwcombinatie Amster III
v.o.f.
Ballast Nedam / BAM / HBGconstructeur/ structural engineer:
ABT, Delftbouwsom/costs:
ï‚€ 10.437.000,-
(excl. btw/ex. V.A.T.)datum opdracht/date of commission:
1995bouwjaar/date of construction:
1998 – 2000bruto oppervlakte/gross surface:
10.500 m2inhoud/volume:
50.000 m3
Web: www.cie.nl
