Cinema Smile

In January 2016, we were asked to create a proposal to activate the space in front of the legendary cinema Úsmev in Košice. Part of our task was also to modify the facades and open up a connection between the cinema foyer and the small park located in front of it. The pleasant park has great potential, and we understood that activities and programs from inside the building could expand into it. Therefore, we perforated the facade with a pair of symmetrical openings that ensure both visual and actual contact between the two environments. The activation of the park consists of placing several architectural elements. These include a stage in the shape of an isosceles cross, which serves as an exterior extension of the café’s operations. Other elements are an information pylon at the entrance to the park and a 23-meter-long zigzag bench. The existing isosceles staircase offers the potential for a viewpoint from which one can observe the happenings in front of the cinema. Its activation consists of modifying the steps into seating and applying a color coating that will be uniform for all the aforementioned elements.
We proposed to clean the facades of unnecessary elements and to adjust their color. On the main facades of the cinema, we proposed a reversible installation E/ti/CS. By omitting the letters T=Thermal and I=Insulation from the known abbreviation ETICS (external thermal insulation contact system), we create the External Contact System. This installation, which in addition to its artistic dimension and informational potential raises questions about the risks of changing geometry, proportions, and the silhouettes of architectures subjected to the pressure of the current trend of energy efficiency and "frantic insulation." The pattern, composed of 2000 anchor elements of the insulation system arranged in a regular grid, becomes a substrate for the independent interventions of other artists. For example, for the placement of LED lights, or for illuminating the structure to generate additional sub-patterns of shadows that will vibrate the silhouette of the cinema object.