OBSCURA

obscura

rachael mackay

“Why do people go to the cinema? What takes them into a darkened room where, for two hours, they watch the play of shadows on a sheet? ... I think that what a person normally goes to the cinema for is time: for time lost or spent or not yet had. He goes there for living experience; for cinema, like no other art, widens, enhances and concentrates a person’s experience - and not only enhances it but makes it longer, significantly longer. That is the power of cinema.”

- Andre Tarkovsky

Welcome to Obscura, the new multifunctional film space and hidden cinema in the centre of Glasgow.

I have long had an interest in visual environments within film; in particular how production designers and cinematographers work with form, colour and lighting to create immersive new environments for audiences all over the world. Film has the ability to change our understanding of the world and each other for the better, and I aim to create a space that inspires growth and connection.

Obscura is comprised of three sections - the North Rotunda, the South Rotunda, and the Tunnel which connects both Rotundas under the River Clyde. The North Rotunda, inspired by the representation of home in film, is a welcoming social space, with a cafe-bar and film museum spanning across four levels. This building hosts the hidden entrance to the Tunnel, an ever-changing immersive experience and connection to the South Rotunda. Inspired by futuristic worlds featured in films of the past, the South Rotunda is split across three levels, and features the hidden cinema, snack bar and film booths.

obscura

Obscura from Camera Obscura - The Camera Obscura is believed to be the first camera in history. Rather than taking photographs, it focuses light through a pinhole lens and projects the image onto a screen. The device is a predecessor of cameras for both still and moving images.

Obscura from Obscure - meaning “not discovered or known about”, much like the hidden tunnel and cinema which are part of this proposal.

PROJECT OUTLINE

View from North Rotunda looking across the river to the South

SITE

The buildings are situated in a historically industrial area of Glasgow, which is now becoming more populated with entertainment venues.

The area surrounding the North Rotunda is becoming a more popular area for visitors to concerts and events. At the South Rotunda, the area is dominated by office buildings, however the Science Museum and Glasgow Quay offer further entertainment-based activities for locals and tourists alike.

The cinema and film space will be located in the Rotundas and Harbour Tunnel which connects them. These B-listed buildings are situated on either side of the Clyde in the Finnieston and Pacific Quay areas of Glasgow.

The North Rotunda: The South Rotunda: 28 Tunnel Street 100 Govan Road Glasgow Glasgow

G3 8HL G51 1DZ

The almost identical round domed brick structures were built between 189095, and sit across the Clyde from one another. Many people are unaware of the South Rotunda and the Tunnel which runs under the Clyde and connects them, and therefore the proposal should work together with the buildings to highlight their unique structures and history.

The North Rotunda is split over 5 levels, including a basement, and currently houses a restaurant and comedy club. The South Rotunda was recently refurbished into offices for a marine engineering firm, also split over 5 levels. The tunnel is owned by Scottish Water and is closed to the public. The Rotundas have a diameter of 24m and are around 21m in height, extending another 22m down to the Tunnel. The Tunnel is around 220 metres long and 5 metres wide, with a 1-metre-wide water mains pipe running through from the South to the North.

The Rotundas and Tunnel have been selected for the proposal as the twin structures with the hidden tunnel seemed suitable for a hidden immersive film space. The Rotundas have also been selected due to their unique history. Originally used as entrances to the tunnel, they allowed the transport of goods and people across the river.

obscura

BRIEF

The aim of this project is to design a social film space and hidden cinema dedicated to young people with an interest in film. This will be a place for people to come together and socialise, meet new people with shared interests, and discover the world of film. The new proposed design will be an immersive experience for visitors, dealing with the space as a journey over time rather than a static design.

It seems that existing cinemas in Glasgow are not always used to their best advantage. Often, independent cinemas are small, and space does not allow for groups of people to come together and socialise before and after films. There is an opportunity in Glasgow to educate people further about film, by introducing a film museum or exhibition space to the cinema. The cinema experience should be welcoming, inclusive and allow for connection and learning.

The design will consider the idea of temporality when it comes to sharing a space with others. The space will allow for visitors to focus on being in the moment, and will be somewhere that a diverse range of people with different stories can converge just for a moment in time.

AIMS:

- To create a welcoming space where people can come together and connect over a shared interest in film.

- To design an inclusive space which highlights lesser-known, independent and art-house films.

- To create a space which allows for exploration into film, and takes visitors on a journey.

- To design a film-focused space, taking inspiration from films of the past and inspiring films of the future.

- To create a welcoming atmosphere, which encourages connection, and feelings of excitement and belonging.

why?

There is an opportunity to create a space in Glasgow which allows young people to connect over film,, explore new worlds and relax in the city centre.

Entertainment spaces in Glasgow are becoming more wideranging, with the development of many new leisure and activity venues. This proposal could form part of the regeneration of the Clyde waterfront, attracting tourists and locals alike.

There are few cinemas in Glasgow which are aimed towards young people, and fewer still that allow space for socialisation, learning, and becoming part of the world of film. Obscura will not only accommodate social connection but encourage it through inclusive, welcoming and immersive spaces .

The secrecy of the speakeasy has become a popular concept for hidden bars and restaurants all over the world. There is an opportunity to merge the mystery of the speakeasy with the excitement and togetherness of the cinema to create a new, engaging experience.

For more details on the project requirements, considerations and site history, please see Brief Journal.

THE EXPLORER THE WRITER

NAME: Simone

AGE: 26

PRONOUNS: She/Her

GOALS: Simone is looking for somewhere to meet and socialise with new people. She also wants to explore the world of film, and find out more about different careers in the industry.

THE artist

NAME: Kat

AGE: 23

PRONOUNS: She/They

GOALS: Kat is looking for somewhere to meet other people in the LGBTQIA+ community. They also hope to explore the world of animated film, and discover new films with friends.

NAME: Seo-Joon

AGE: 25

PRONOUNS: He/Him

GOALS: Seo-Joon is looking for a place where he can watch and borrow lesserknown films, and somewhere to go with friends to discuss film. He wants to go to a cinema which is accessible and comfortable for wheelchair users.

THE talker

NAME: Kamari

AGE: 29

PRONOUNS: They/Them

GOALS: Kamari is looking for a cinema space to hire for their birthday, preferably somewhere independent and spacious enough for family and friends. They also hope to see more diverse films, with representation of different gender identities and people of colour.

THE actor

NAME: Orla

AGE: 24

PRONOUNS: She/Her

THE thinker

NAME: Leo

AGE: 20

PRONOUNS: He/Him

GOALS: Leo wants to go somewhere that he can be fully immersed in a film, and forget about the stress of day-to-day life. He is also looking for somewhere different to go with friends, rather than going out for drinks.

GOALS: Orla is looking for an immersive film experience. As she doesn’t have streaming services, she wants to find somewhere with a big screen and sound equipment to watch films, and somewhere she can borrow films on DVD. She is also looking for an inexpensive cinema which screens films with subtitles and audio description.

Cafe Seating and Garden

Cafe Seating

Booths

Cafe Seating

Cafe-Bar

North Rotunda

Tunnel

River

Finnieston

Film Museum

Film Museum

Ground Floor

First Floor

Film Museum

North Tunnel Base with Box Office

Key Plan

South Rotunda Tunnel

Clyde

Pacific Quay

Snack Bar Cinema

Film Booths

Atrium

Snack Bar

Seating Booths

Viewing Platform

South Tunnel Base

Tunnel not to scale

The North Rotunda is primarily a social space, facilitating connection and encouraging engagement with film and film-making.

The space takes inspiration from the concept of home and belonging as represented in film. Designed in a midcentury modern style, the building provides a comfortable, inclusive and welcoming space for all, allowing for people to come together, learn more about film, and connect over shared interests.

The user journey through the North Rotunda, Tunnel and South Rotunda is designed to reflect the classic story structure - beginning in the known world, where a discovery sets the character off on an adventure into a new, unknown world. The North Rotunda is the manifestation of the known world, the setting for the beginning of the adventure.

Roof

The Entrance

Cafe-Bar Seating

This is a small, welcoming space where visitors enter and exit the building. It provides a threshold between the outside world and the cafe-bar space, and allows visitors to buy and collect tickets for the film museum.

Seating Booths

Staff Room

Cafe-Bar Seating

The Cafe-Bar

Film Museum

Cafe-Bar and Seating

Entrance

This is a large space, full of energy and excitement. The transition between the smaller, darker entrance passageway to the bright, busy cafe-bar makes visitors immediately feel part of a bigger community. The cafe-bar is a vast, open space where visitors can meet up and socialise, with a bar for ordering food and drinks. There is a range of seating spaces across three floors, some open and some more private, with tables for food and drink. This is a key space within the proposal, connecting all areas of the North Rotunda.

The Film Museum

Hidden Entrance to Tunnel

Film Museum

This is an immersive space where visitors will learn more about the past, present and future of films and filmmaking. Starting on the Ground Floor and spanning the entire basement, there are opportunities for visitors to choose their own path and interact with different exhibits.

Tunnel Base

Exploded View of the North Rotunda

The Entrance

Tickets can be collected from the double-height reception desk, along with a pair of 3D glasses. The glasses can be used to find the secret entrance to the tunnel on the museum map and cafe menu.

Inspired by the film Blade Runner 2049, the passageway on the right is lit by reflections of water in the ceiling above. This leads into the centre of the building, where the cafebar is found.

Common Materials

These materials feature on the central walls in the North Rotunda.

1. Polished Plaster

Armourcoat Spatulata Campfire Smoke

Wall

2. Polished Plaster

Armourcoat Amuralia Daydream

Polished Plaster Interior Walls

Armourcoat Amuralia Icelandic Beach

Gold Corridor Ceiling

G-Tex - Oregon Gold Ripple Effect

Stainless Steel

Brushed Gold Corridor Walls

Rimex Metals - ColourTex Gold Satin

Dark-toned Wood Pigeon Holes for 3D Glasses

Green Marble Counter-top

Diespeker & Co. - Conglomerate Marble CG006

Ribbed Cork Counter Front

Concrete-effect Flooring Tiles

Amtico Flooring

Central Lift Shaft and Staircase

Film Museum Entrance Wall

3. Original interior brick External Walls

Materiality for Entrance

Indochine Chair

Charlotte Perriand 1943

Cafe Seating on the Ground Floor

Upholstered in Light Grey Fabric & Dark Grey Leather/ Red Leather

Tulip Tables

To be made bespoke

Cafe seating on the Ground Floor

Dark brass with inlaid eggshell/Dark brass with inlaid Glaskeramik

Mid-century Modern Barstools

To be made bespoke, or similar sourced vintage

Bar seating in the Ground Floor cafe

Mid-toned wood with faux-leather upholstery

Mid-toned Wood Bar Top with Inlaid Mirror and Lighting

Red Velvet Entrance Curtain

Eggshell Tabletops

Nature Squared - Eggshell Inlay

Wood Terrazzo Bar Tiles

Foresso - Charcoal Walnut

Recycled Glass Tabletops

Magna - Glaskeramik Jade Polished

Cork Tile Flooring

Bricofloor Cortex

Backlit Acrylic Detailing

Midton Acrylics - Bespoke

Concrete-effect Flooring Tiles

Amtico Flooring

Furniture and Materiality for Ground Floor Cafe-Bar

The Cafe-bar, looking towards Entrance Passageway

Retaining the existing building shell allows the cafe-bar to be a bright, open space. The barstool seating allows for a more private space, whereas the table seating encourages conversation and connection. The feature stairs lead up to the first floor of the cafe-bar, and the hallway on the right towards staff spaces and the cafe kitchen.

Cafe-bar and Entrance to the Film Museum

30mm Water-tight Timber Planter

Recessed LED spotlights within Timber Planter, light cable routed through tubular steel frame

30mm Diameter Brushed Brass Bar Gantry, vertically secured to bar top at either end, and secured to wall with concealed metal wall brackets fixed to ply pattress

12.5mm Ply Bar Back with 4mm Brass Finish

12.5mm Ply Layers with 4mm Brass Finish and Concealed LED Linear Lighting

12mm Timber Counter-top

18mm MDF

12.5mm Ply

18mm Ply

160x40x6mm Wood Terrazzo Tiles

30mm Timber Frame Base Units

30mm Diameter Brushed Brass Foot rail

15mm Backlit Acrylic Kick plate

Bar Section Detail

Ekenäset Armchair, 2-seat and 3-seat sofas IKEA

Cafe and booth seating on first floor

Upholstered in light grey/dark grey/ light green with mid-toned wood

Tari Side Table

Bruno Moinard Éditions

Tables in first floor cafe

Dark rippled glass and brass table legs

Soda Side Tables

Miniforms

Tables in balcony space of first floor cafe

Amber Glass

Extrasoft Sofa Piero Lissoni, 2008

Low-height seating for balcony space of first floor cafe

Upholstered in brown faux-leather

Gold Statement Booth Ceilings

G-Tex - Oregon Gold Ripple Effect

Stainless Steel

Gold Ring-Mesh Booth Dividers

Alphamesh - 7.0 Bronze

Brown Leather, Grey & Green

Fabric Upholstery

Bamboo Flooring

Mid-toned Wood Side Tables

Vintage and Locally Sourced

Red Oriental Rug

Furniture and Materiality for First Floor Cafe-Bar

Cafe Seating on the First Floor

The seating on the first floor is designed to be more relaxed than on the ground floor, allowing visitors to unwind throughout the morning, afternoon and evening. The loose furniture allows for the space to be adapted for film nights and private events.

The seating booths at the far end offers space for small groups, with sliding doors allowing increased privacy.

The central lift shaft and stairwell can be seen on the far right, providing vertical access to all levels of the building, including the tunnel base.

Seating Booths on the first floor of the Cafe-bar

The seating booths are individual spaces, with an assortment of different furniture pieces combined to resemble a mid-century modern living room.

Seating Booths

Furniture for Seating Booths on First Floor Cafe-Bar

Chadwick Coffee Table West Elm

Tables for booth and cafe seating on first floor

Mid-toned wood and rattan

Maralunga 2-seat sofa

Vico Magistretti, 1974

Booth seating on first floor

Upholstered in brown faux-leather

Selection of wooden side tables and mid-century style lamps

Vintage and locally sourced Booths on first floor

Model 02 2-seat sofa

Swyft

Booth seating on first floor

Upholstered in light grey fabric

Cafe Seating & Viewing Platform

north rotunda

second floor

Heart Dining Chairs

Hans Wegner, 1953

Cafe seating on the second floor

Light-toned wood

Bar tables

To be made bespoke

Tables for bar seating on the second floor

Dark brass with inlaid Glaskeramik

Modern Side Table

Apollo, or similar to be sourced locally

Tables for cafe seating on the second floor

Amber-coloured polycarbonate

Neva Light Barstools

Regular Company, 2018

Cafe barstool seating on the second floor

Mid-toned wood with faux-leather upholstery

Backlit Acrylic Detailing

Midton Acrylics - Bespoke

Recycled Glass Tabletops

Magna - Glaskeramik Jade Polished

Eggshell Tabletops

Nature Squared - Eggshell Inlay

Concrete-Effect Flooring Tiles

Amtico Flooring

Cork Tile Flooring

Bricofloor Cortex

Furniture and Materiality for Second Floor Cafe-Bar

Photobooth / Tunnel Entrance

Film Museum Rooms

north rotunda basement

Film Museum Corridor with Projection on Exterior Wall

The film museum journey begins on the Ground Floor, with a short introduction to film and the history of filmmaking. The museum then continues into the basement, where visitors can learn about different aspects of film and get the opportunity to engage with exhibits to create their own films.

1 - This is the entrance corridor to the film museum. A visual timeline paired with small projections talks visitors through a brief history of filmmaking, from optical illusions creating moving pictures to contemporary film.

2 - Sound waves are projected onto a banner which is hung from the ceiling here. The sound waves are created in real time by those travelling through the museum. This can also be seen from outside, through the two full-height windows on the external wall, and acts as a glimpse into the museum for passers-by.

3 - Here is displayed a cinématographe - one of the first commercial projectors. Visitors are able to hand-crank the projector and see the film play as they turn the handle.

4 - Here, visitors can walk through a curtain, covered in projections from old film clips.

5 - This is where the microphone for the sound wave banner is located. Visitors can capture a sound wave, which will print out ready to take home as a souvenir.

6 - Once visitors have descended the stairs, they enter the basement, where a curving projection covers the entire exterior wall.

7 - This room focuses on the actor’s role within a film.

8 - This room focuses on animation and the history of animated film

9 - This room focuses on sound and the effect this has on a film.

10 - This room focuses on design and the role of the art department in film.

11 - This room focuses on movement and the origins of film as optical illusions.

12 - This room focuses on VR and the future of filmmaking and the film-going experience.

13 - This is the photobooth and secret entrance to the stairs down to the tunnel.

Museum Map detailing the path through the space

Sound

The outer room provides information and examples of how foley artists use props to recreate sounds for film.

The inner room is set up as a recording booth, where visitors are encouraged to use different instruments and sound props to record foley for a short film

Animation

The outer room provides a brief history of animation in film, with examples of stopmotion, flipbooks and digital animation.

The inner room features an animation station, where visitors can use stop-motion to record their own short film.

VR

The outer room details how VR and other recent technology is becoming a part of the film industry in the present and future.

The inner room features several VR headsets, where visitors can experience a short film set in a virtual environment.

Movement

The outer room details the origin of film and how scientific discoveries in optics allowed people to create moving images.

The inner room features zoetropes, optical discs and praxinoscopes, for visitors to experience the original moving images.

Design

The outer room provides an introduction into the role of the art department in film.

The inner room is set up with a series of stations for visitors to design posters, costumes and sets for film.

Acting

The outer room shows a series of audition tapes from famous films.

The inner room features a green screen and camera, which are set up to allow visitors to star in scenes from their favourite films.

The Photobooth

This seemingly ordinary photobooth provides the secret entrance to the tunnel. Upon entering the photobooth, visitors find a secret doorway to the central lift shaft and stairwell in the building - from here the stairs descend down a further 22 metres to the tunnel.

One graphic on the photobooth advertises “Only 1/2d!”. The original price for pedestrians to use the tunnel when it opened in the 1890s was a halfpenny, (or 1/2d).

The photobooth was inspired by the film Amélie, where a mystery surrounding unclaimed photographs sets the central character on a journey to uncover the identity of the man in the photographs.

TUNNEL

The research, design development and final outcome of the tunnel is my 20-credit module. Pages 33-40 of my portfolio show the final outcome of the tunnel, supported by the 20-credit journal which I have also uploaded.

The tunnel connects the two Rotundas, providing an interesting and unique journey for visitors.

Using sound and lighting, it is a dynamic, immersive experience, building anticipation for the film. The experience is tailored to the film currently being shown in the South Rotunda’s cinema, and therefore provides a different journey for every visit.

The user journey through the North Rotunda, Tunnel and South Rotunda is designed to reflect the classic story structure - beginning in the known world, where a discovery sets the character off on an adventure into a new, unknown world. The Tunnel represents the journey into the new world.

North Tunnel Base

The journey to the tunnel is hidden and secretive, therefore in the North Rotunda, the staircase to the tunnel is narrower and the tunnel base is slightly darker than the South.

The tunnel has been split into three sections, with removable curtains dividing the spaces. To make the journey more interesting for visitors, the journey towards the South Rotunda differs from the journey back to the North. The curtains are removed, allowing visitors a view along the entire length of the tunnel. The tunnel operates on a rotating basis, with travel switching directions every fifteen minutes.

Spotlights and projectors are installed in the centre of the ceiling rafters along the length of the tunnel, as well as strip lights which feature along the sides at the top and bottom of the tunnel. This allows for the space to be flexible so that the tunnel experience can change regularly.

To create a fully immersive experience, the existing 1-metrewide water mains pipe has been removed and relocated.

Box Office Tunnel

Seating Central Stair lift up

Photobooth

The photobooth marks the beginning of the tunnel experience. Curious visitors of the film museum enter the photobooth only to find a whole new experience hidden beyond.

Those who are already aware of the tunnel and hidden cinema are able to access the tunnel directly by pressing the hidden button in the lift, or continuing down the stairs from the cafe-bar, through the museum basement.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, visitors are welcomed to the tunnel with a short film projected onto the wall, leading them around the corridor to the box office. Seating at the base of the tunnel allows space to rest before and after ascending or descending the stairs.

North Rotunda

Horror Experience - View Upon Entering the Tunnel

The box office is located at the mouth of the tunnel, where visitors can purchase tickets for the cinema, hire out film booths and find out more about the current tunnel experience.

The tunnel experience is ever-changing, dependant on the film currently being shown in the South Rotunda. The following journey is an example of the experience if a horror film was being shown in the cinema.

Horror Experience - ACT ONE - Searchlights

The first of the three sections begins the tunnel experience by introducing the story.

Visitors make their way into the tunnel, where they hear a car’s engine start as spotlights begin moving around the space like car headlights. As the sounds build and headlights shine, a radio sounds informing the audience that a suspected killer is on the loose. As spotlights motion-track the audience, the radio begins to cut out, and eventually the spotlights angle to cast long shadows down the tunnel.

“There is a killer on the loose!”

Horror Experience - ACT TWO - Obscured

The second section draws the audience further into the story, building up towards the experience’s climax in the third act.

Upon entering this section, visitors are met with plastic sheets, which hang from the ceiling, obscuring their view along the tunnel. Fans and spotlights in the ceiling softly move the sheets, casting shadows through the tunnel. Rain and wind sounds play as visitors make their way through the space, and softly flashing lighting creates a tense atmosphere.

“The killer is among us!”

Horror Experience - ACT THREE - The Killer

The last section brings the story to a climax and concludes the tunnel experience.

Low lighting occasionally flickers and the sound of chains clinking can be heard as visitors enter the space. Visitors can see the end of the tunnel, until suddenly the lights go out and they are plunged into darkness. The chains softly clink until there is a loud screeching noise - a monster! Lights then turn on one-by-one from the end of the tunnel towards the visitors, as they hear monster footsteps approaching and passing them by.

“It turns out the killer isn’t human at all, and it is in the room with us now!”

Projection on Tunnel Base Wall

Once the tunnel experience is over, visitors enter the base of the South Rotunda. The North tunnel base is closed off and secretive, building anticipation for the tunnel. In contrast, the South tunnel base is open and bright, with stairs rising up around the edges of the building, emphasising the vastness of the space.

The space allows visitors to decompress after the tunnel experience and builds up further anticipation for entering the South Rotunda.

South Rotunda

obscura

South Tunnel Base

The South tunnel base is a bright space of dramatic proportions. Stairs wind around the outside of the space, leaving a large void in the centre which contrasts with the much narrower tunnel.

A viewing platform allows lift and stair users to pause halfway up to rest and appreciate the view. Projections on the exterior wall explain the history of the Rotundas and Tunnel.

The journey back through the tunnel, heading towards the North Rotunda, creates a different experience for visitors. A clear view along the tunnel allows visitors to get a better sense of the dramatic space, and projections on the walls replay exciting moments from films of the past, alongside trailers for future films playing in the cinema.

https://youtu.be/C-8D_sJq1f0

Scan this QR code to watch a film showcasing the Tunnel Horror Experience

SOUTH ROTUNDA

The South Rotunda is a space focused on the discovery and enjoyment of film, providing both public and private film-viewing experiences.

This space takes inspiration from past visions of the futuristic city, the outdated take on what the future city might look like. Dramatic lighting is used to create immersive spaces for exploration and conversation, whilst the classic cinema experience remains, with popcorn, pick ‘n’ mix, and a comfortable cinema auditorium.

The user journey through the North Rotunda, Tunnel and South Rotunda is designed to reflect the classic story structure - beginning in the known world, where a discovery sets the character off on an adventure into a new, unknown world. The South Rotunda is the manifestation of the new world, a space for exploration and full of discovery.

Roof

The Snack Bar

Film Booths

This is an energetic space for people to gather before and after a film, and purchase tickets, snacks and drinks. It features a bar space and a range of bar, table and booth seating. It is a key space connecting all areas of the South Rotunda.

The Cinema

Staff Room

Seating Booths

Snack Bar

This is a screening space accommodating 100 people, with 92 fixed seats, 2 wheelchair spaces, and 6 flexible seats which can be modified into wheelchair spaces. It has comfortable stepped seating and a large screen, with a full sound system. Small tables for snacks and drinks allow storage space for belongings. The cinema will screen a range of classic and lesser-known films, and is hireable for larger events and conferences. This area is key to the proposal and is a destination space.

The Film Booths

Atrium

Cinema

The film booths are small, bookable screening spaces for up to four people. Visitors can opt to select a film from the database or screen their own film from their phone or other device. There are four booths with fixed sofa seating and two larger first class booths with wheelchair spaces and flexible seating.

Tunnel Base

Exploded View of the South Rotunda

Window looking towards the Atrium of the South Rotunda

south rotunda

ground floor Wheelchair Spaces

Flexible Seating

Common Materials

These materials feature on the central walls in the South Rotunda.

1. Concrete-effect plaster

Armourcoat Koncrete Weathered Slate Atrium, Stairway and Snack Bar Walls

2. Acoustic Plaster

Armourcoat with Concrete-effect finish Film Booth Corridor and Cinema Exterior Walls

3. Original brick External Walls

Red Velvet Curtains

Faux Leather Seat Upholstery (Different colour for each seat)

Acoustic Sculptural Wall

Autex Acoustics - Bespoke

obscura

Acoustic Wood Wall Panelling

Gustafs - Walnut Anthracite

Backlit Recycled Glass Details

Magna - Glaskeramik - Ice Nugget, Polished

Acoustic Carpet Tiles

Milliken - Northward Bound - Glacier

Castor Oil Resin Lighting Estúdio Rain 1 2 3 46

Furniture for Cinema

2-seat cinema chairs

To be made bespoke

Each chair upholstered in a slightly different colour of leather, with black leather arms

Side Tables

To be made bespoke or similar sourced locally

Tables between every 2 cinema seats

Mid-toned wood and brass metal table legs

Cinema Auditorium

The cinema auditorium can seat up to 100 people, across 8 rows of tiered seating. Entrance doors are located on a central row, with wheelchair-accessible seating at either side of this row for increased accessibility and comfort.

Inspired by the feeling of momentary connection and togetherness that comes with sharing a cinema screen as part of an audience, the cinema seating reflects the individual experience within a bigger crowd. Each of the seats is upholstered in a different leather for a more personal experience.

Seats are laid out in pairs, with tables on either side to hold drinks and snacks. This is to provide a comfortable experience whilst preserving a sense of closeness and connection to those around you.

Backlit recycled glass provides consistent lighting on stairs, pathways and around doors, for those navigating the space. Castor-oil resin strip lights at either side of the auditorium provides brighter light before and after the film, which is slowly diminished as the curtains close across the windows and the film begins.

south rotunda

first floor

Seating Booths

Staff Room with Kitchenette and WCs

Snack Bar

Popcorn Stand with Banquette Seating

Yngvar Barstools

IKEA

Bar stools for snack bar and booths on first floor

Black steel, upholstered with leather seat padding

Contour Metal Armchairs

Kirkhouse

Chairs for snack bar on first floor

Red steel frame

Recycled Glass Tabletops

Magna - Glaskeramik - Ice Nugget, Polished

Coffee Waste Flooring

Castor Oil Resin Lighting

Estúdio Rain

Red Neon Detailing

Eggshell Tabletops

Nature Squared - Eggshell Inlay

Silver Ripple-Effect Bar Back

G-Tex - Oregon Silver Stainless Steel

Faux-Leather Upholstery

Red Corrugated Plastic Bar Front with LED Back-lighting

Concrete-effect Flooring Tiles

Amtico Flooring

Abstract Floor Projections

Furniture and Materiality for Snack Bar

The Snack Bar

The bar is primarily a space to order snacks and drinks before and after watching a film, and also allows visitors to purchase tickets for the cinema and film booths. Ripple-effect stainless steel connects the building back to it’s history as an entrance to the tunnel running under the River Clyde.

Castor-oil resin strip lights create a warm glow, while red, blue and green neon lighting are reminiscent of the retro city as seen in films such as Blade Runner.

The corridor leads towards seating booths, WCs and the lift, and the ceiling features strips of coloured PVC inspired by layers of neon signs in vast cities. Stairs continue up through the building to the top floor.

The popcorn stand on the following page is inspired by the glow of city shops and laundromats at night. It allows visitors to interact with the space further whilst retaining the classic cinema experience of consuming popcorn and pick ‘n’ mix. It also provides banquette seating for those waiting to see a film, or socialise afterwards in an energetic environment.

The Popcorn Stand and Bar Seating

Technical details for Popcorn Stand

50x50mm Soft Timber Framing

Stainless Steel Outer Panelling

Corrugated Steel Top

Neon-lit Acrylic Lettering

Leather Upholstery

Polished Plaster Corridor Walls

Armourcoat Spatulata Campfire Smoke

Metal Grate Booth Dividers and Table Legs

Neon and Acrylic Lighting

PVC Strip Statement Corridor Ceiling

Mid-toned Wood Tabletops

Perforated Metal Booth Walls and Ceilings with LED Back-lighting

Concrete-effect Flooring Tiles

Amtico Flooring

Materiality for Snack Bar Booths on First Floor

Snack Bar Seating Booth

These small seating booths provide groups with an immersive and private space to socialise. Tables are inspired by metal grilles drawn over shop fronts at night, and the connection between carriages on New York subway trains.

south rotunda

second floor

Film Booths

First Class

Accessible Film Booths

Viewing Platform with Seating Area

The Film Booths

Inspired by New York subway carriages, the film booths and corridor are reminiscent of city trains passing by at night. Red and purple lights cast a neon glow and stainless steel cladding and subway-style seating creates a train-like exterior on the viewing platform.

The corridor provides further privacy to the film booths and is clad with concrete-effect acoustic plaster to increase sound absorption. Sliding doors provide access to the individual booths, and pull-blinds over windows create a fully immersive space, where visitors can watch films from the database or connect a device to screen their own films.

Two of the six film booths are wheelchair accessible, with wheelchair spaces and accessible seating for visitors. The viewing platform allows visitors to see through the roof windows towards the North Rotunda.

Concrete-effect Film Booth Walls

Armourcoat - Acoustic PlasterWeathered Slate

Red LED Display Strip Light

Stainless Steel Walls

Subway-style Bespoke Seating

Abstract Floor Projections

Concrete-effect Flooring Tiles

Amtico Flooring

Materiality for Viewing Platform on Second Floor

The Film Booth Corridor

Exterior of the Film Booths on the Second Floor

Continuing the project, there will be a further focus on the tunnel, and the range of experiences the space could offer. The tunnel bases at either end will become a larger part of the proposal, perhaps with the introduction of smaller, private cinema spaces in the North, and a screening and events space in the South. There will also be greater focus on marketing and graphic design, considering how social media, advertising and signage within the space can communicate the excitement and secrecy of the hidden tunnel.

With inclusive, social spaces comes community. Through designing creative spaces centring on connection and experience, we build and inspire a broader community of creative people. This project has allowed me to explore how such a space could exist in Glasgow, and how it would benefit a new generation of filmmakers.

fin