July 22, 2019

Atelier d’Architecture Lalo’s Space-Age Cinéma UGC Vélizy 2 is a Blockbuster

D3A created the plaster board ceiling baffles, while 2TEC2 vinyl covers the floor. Photography courtesy of Atelier d’Architecture Lalo.

The best part of movie theaters is usually when the lights go down. Not so for the new Cinéma UGC Vélizy 2 in Île-de-France’s north-central area Vélizy-Villacoublay. Thanks to Paris-based Atelier d’Architecture Lalo, the 143,000-square-foot complex is as much a draw as any superhero extravaganza.

“I thought about a spaceship bringing us elsewhere, out of gravity, to the stars,” says founder Jean-Marc Lalo. “Cinemas are massive concrete boxes, linked by hanging streets. I thought about the contrast between light and heavy elements.”

Christophe Pillet’s chairs for Inclass Studio rest on Reditec’s terrazzo floors in the lobby. Photography courtesy of Atelier d’Architecture Lalo.

All that thinking resulted in a faceted ceiling of baffles between steel columns, angling into view above concrete balconies and benches that nod to classic cinema amphitheater seating in the 18 screening rooms. A monumental neon installation is another blockbuster touch.

“The ceilings are exploded,” Lalo says, “with split white surfaces that receive color through spotlights, as if time were stopped.” Or as if the ceilings were silver screens themselves.  

Egger manufactured the wood benches, with side tables by Inclass Studio. Photography courtesy of Atelier d’Architecture Lalo.

Read more: Wuhan Panlong Plaza Yinxing Cinema by One Plus Partnership Wins 2018 Best of Year Award for Entertainment Project

Recent Projects