Nanjing Insun Feeling Cinema

This Nanjing cinema is located next to historical buildings but also chic and modern architecture, perfectly illustrating the East meets West vibe. Thus inspired, One Plus Partnership combined traditional and modern elements to highlight the importance of sound in movies from characters’ dialogue to sound effects and musical scores. It was challenging to turn this conceptual idea into interior design as sound is itself invisible, so the designers created a 3D portrayal of sound waves. Throughout the whole cinema, metal tubes (powder coated red) are arranged to go up and down, representing a variety of sounds found in movies. The walls and ceilings have a raw grey concrete surface, which builds a strong contrast against the color and texture of the red metal tubes. These tubes fill up the entire space and enrich the interior of the cinema; visitors feel as if they can see the sound with their eyes.

The tubes are also functional. The wavy metal tubes curve and stretch themselves along the wall, extending from ceiling the floor. In some parts, the tubes turn into a horizontal straight line representing the stillness of sound and providing seats for visitors. The tubes extend toward different areas, leading patrons through facilities of the cinema. The black bar counter follows the same curvy characteristic of sound waves. In the auditoriums, sound-absorbing acoustic panels are piled up to create 3D sound wave patterns on the wall. Made up of different shades of red and grey, these panels resonate with the red tube waveform design in the lobby. The glass door of the cinema is red in color. The glass door and natural sunlight together create various atmospheres during different times of the day, creating an interplay between the exterior environment and the interior design of the cinema.

Design Team

Ajax Law, Virginia Lung

Fabricators

Shanghai Wenyu Jituan