In this post-pandemic era, the operation of cinemas and the future development of the film industry has become a hot topic in current society. After a long period of business close-down and limiting audience capacity due to the pandemic, a problem gradually appeared in front of the public – cinema owners should have done a deeper analysis on how to develop their cinema’s commercial value and expand its features in order to adapt to the rapidly changing society. To breathe some new life into the heavily impacted industry, X+Living has teamed up with FAB cinema and Zhongshuge bookstore to design this cross-brand space in Taiyuan, China.
Designing a cross-brand space is not simply about mixing the features of two brands together. The designers integrated the cultural aspects of both brands together organically, using humane sentiments of the bookstore to elevate the brand value of the entertainment space, at the same time maximizing both spaces’ social features to bring customers a different experience.
On the fifth floor is the ticket office of the cinema, but also the reading hall for Zhongshuge. A concise outline of the bookshelf wall creates a ceremonial reception space, which also weakens the commercial atmosphere of the space. Wooden material with a metal cover creates an exquisite feeling. It provides a unique way for the audience to kill time before the movie.
In the lecture hall, bookshelves adopt a step-down design and create an abstract mountain shape, it helps achieve functions such as seats, stairs and displays naturally. The space is not only able to host book-related events, but also is the perfect place for hosting various activities regarding movie culture.
After the movie, audiences can grab a cup of hot drink in the café of Zhongshuge and have a chat about the movie they were enjoying. This is an exclusive after-party for movie fans. Inspired by the mountain surrounded local landscape, the designer used white triangular geometric shapes to create mountains and formed a cave filled with knowledge.
In the Children’s Area, designers used movie-related elements such as a projector, video recorder and film to create a fun little world, playfully highlights the theme of the place.
In the corridor leading to the cinema from the bookstore, designers rearranged the arches in the 10 meters high space and formed a perspective with strong visual impact. The up and downstream traffic flow design cleverly separates the movie viewers from the book readers, preventing them from interfering with each other.
Wood materials used in the project are all Level A fireproof, which not only highlight the aesthetics but also guarantee safety. The space’s fine texture combining with the overall warm tone creates a cultural accumulating atmosphere. The design creates a positive flow for customers in different commercial spaces, it activates a new business model for cinemas, at the same time provides an upgrade of the “retail + entertainment” model for the renaissance of physical bookstores.