Berlin, Germany
Anke Müller, Julia Jensen, and Patrick Batek from the Berlin studio of Batek Architekten have focused on speed, light, and movement recently completing the renovation of the Blauer Stern cinema, dating from 1933.
The blue star now shines again.
A hundred years after the first picture houses opened—and in response to streaming and the spread of platforms offering content on demand—there is a return today to thinking about the cinema in terms of a spatial experience, as well as a source of entertainment.
The intervention has entailed bringing the complex into compliance with the regulations and reorganization of the spaces to meet contemporary standards.
As part of the renovation of the traditional Berlin art house cinema, the foyer was expanded and the two halls redesigned.
The house, built in 1870, has been a cinema since 1933, today the film theater belongs to the Yorck cinema group – like the Delphi Lux cinema, also a project by the office.
While a new area was used for the Delphi Lux, for the Blauer Stern it was necessary to adapt the old building to today’s needs.
A partition was removed in the foyer—for a spacious entrance with a bench and counter.
The irregular spatial structure of the large hall is now unified by round arches. The walls are covered with printed sheets of fabric.
A work by the artist Mechtild van Ahlers served as a template, floral and cloud-like structures in shades of red float against a blue background.
The red color typical of the cinema can also be found in the furnishings of the hall and foyer.
The historical stucco decoration of the foyer ceiling inspired the lighting design: Suspended LED light rails partially follow the diamond pattern of the stucco.
Project: Yorck Kino Blue Star
Designers: Batek Architekten
Design Team: Anke Müller, Julia Jensen, and Patrick Batek
Client: Yorck Kinogruppe
Photographers: Marcus Wend