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This space takes inspiration from past visions of the futuristic city, the outdated take on what the future city might look like.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

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.

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.

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 south rotunda ground floor Wheelchair Spaces

Flexible Seating

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

To be made bespoke

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

To be made bespoke or similar sourced locally

Tables between every 2 cinema seats

Mid-toned wood and brass metal table legs

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

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

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

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

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

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.