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

Key Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.