Shinjuku Cinema Qualite

Cinema Qualite has been opened in the basement of Shinjuku NOWA building since 2012 and the renovation work of the lobby area was conducted.
This movie theater has 2 screens which have seating capacities of 96 and 78 people.
Actually, this movie theater has been formerly used as Japanese-style pub and the shape of theater is bilaterally asymmetric. The bumps and dips on the surface of the theater define the lobby area. All walls are covered with the wood textured vinyl sheet and this blurred the line between the theater box and the lobby area.
It has been 5 years since opening, and the interior creates a dark and dull atmosphere with wooden panel. The image of the space needed to be transformed.
Shinjuku Musashino-kan which is affiliated theater was fully renovated in 2016.
The theater and lobby area were much bigger than Cinema Qualite. The interior was designed as a movie set and temporary exhibition was displayed in the world view of Cinema.
The area of Cinema Qualite was less than half that of Shinjuku Musashino-kan, so the design in this project captures “Lightness”.
Also, Three volumes, Theatre 1, Theatre 2 and toilet, are finished with wood-wool cement board, corrugated slate plate and perforated calcium silicate plate. This slight difference of texture between volumes based on grey color creates bright and light atmosphere while enhancing a sense of existence of volumes.
The existed reception counter, which is a room, is renovated to open counter which allows staffs to look over the whole lobby. The furniture in the lobby including this open counter, shelves for display around the colum in the middle, and benches are finished with bright colour timber, give an accent of this whole space.