From shadowgraphs already used in prehistorical times to the upcoming holographic cinema, humanity has always been fascinated with the fabrication of moving images. The story of cinema is also the story of its evolving technology. Central to this process is the camera obscura that allows the recording of the image, initially on film, and now on a digital sensor.
To represent such a tremendous evolution, from Lumiere Brothers’ short films in Paris in 1895, to contemporary attempts such as holograms and virtual reality, spanning only 125 years, we propose the cinema at Hayy Jameel to be a dark room of total versatility, a Camera Obscura of no-image itself to allow the projection of all image formats, past, present and hopefully future.
Axonometric 1/12: Floor System: The floors of the lobby, main cinema and projection room are all finished in concrete screed.
Axonometric 2/12: Seating System:
The seating is configured on movable steel modules finished with lightweight slabs that can be laid out in multiple configurations or totally hidden raised under the truss ceiling. They are finished in black textured sound absorbent carpeting.
Total number of seats is 152.
Axonometric 3/12: TrivisionWall System:
The trivision wall system, inspired from the three colors of the traditional architecture in Jeddah, allows for three distinct moods:
- Carbonized wood in the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban for maximum darkness.
- Local coral stone for events.
- Projection fabric to transform walls into moving images.
The triangular modules are fully operable allowing for either one of the three moods or any combination of the three, either as one smooth surface or rotated to its edge.
The interior of the modules is filled with recycled acoustic foam while their surfaces (stone, wood, fabric) are perforated to chosen percentagaes to achieve desired acoustic effects.
Axonometric 4/12: Ceiling System:
The ceiling of the room is kept in exposed trusses with mechanical systems in pitch black, with:
- Subtle programmable RGB indirect lighting as needed.
- Projectors on tracks for entrance exit lighting.
- Moving heads for events.
- Step lights in blue fiber optics.
Axonometric 5/12: Classical Cinema:
The projection room is equipped with a 35mm projector and a digital laser projector. It also serves as control room for sound and lighting equipment.
Axonometric 6/12: Amphitheater Cinema:
In the amphitheater configuration, all seats are laid out on the periphery of the room allowing for central events, such as con- certs or holographic cinema.
Axonometric 7/12: Catwalk Cinema:
In the catwalk configuration, half the seats are raised to the ceiling while the 4 remaining pieces are organized in a mountain layout allowing for peripheral circulation around the room for events such as fashion shows.
Axonometric 8/12: Black Box:
In the black box configuration, all seats raised to the ceiling, allowing for open space events such as experimental 3D mapping, holographic cinema, exhibition space or installation art. A central circular projection device with 8 digital projectors can be lowered from the ceiling allowing to 3D map images from the floor to 5.6m height, 60m perimeter on 360 degrees.
Axonometric 9/12: The Lobby 1/3 :
The lobby is separated from the cinema theater by a glass partition allowing for a controlled transparency.The Lobby 2/3: Striated mirror walls extend the illusion left and right, while the ceiling remains exposed infrastructure, like inside the cinema. A 17.3m by 3.4m transparent LED screen covers the full height of the glass wall while a blue velvet curtain allows for total darkness within the cinema during shows.
Axonometric 10/12: The Museum:
The lobby is a tribute to the history of cinema. Equipped with paperless ticketing and automated concession, the liberated lobby space becomes a museum of objects where phénakisticope and cutting edge virtual reality devices can be freely juxtaposed on the same bare concrete floor, same black exposed systemic ceiling, mir- ror side walls with integrated information devices.In the background, the giant transparent LED screen on full height projects its cinematic images of all periods all the way to the courtyard of Hayy Jameel while reveal ing in its transparency the mechanisms of the Camera Obscura within.
Project Status: Competition Entry, Third Prize.
Designed by Karim Nader with Roula Akiki Assaf, Elie Christian Naameh, Christy Layous, Yasmina Baladi.
Acoustic Studies by 21db, Fouad Bechwati.
Quantity Surveying and Cost Estimation by Quants
Structural Design by Elie Turk.
MEP Engineering by Bureau Elias Abou Khaled.
Model by Charbel abou Chacra photographed by Marwan Harmouche.