Film noir: Cinema plays to its local strengths

Viewers enter the Centipede Cinema via one of 16 portholes, and can rest their arms on the inside of the structure during screenings. The installation was inspired by an underground cinema club that screened politically subversive films in the 50s.

The structure also incorporates local materials using cork throughout the design. Portugal produces most of the world’s cork, but wine bottlers are turning to synthetic substitutes. ‘We wanted to show that cork can be used for architectural purposes,’ says designer Colin Fournier of the Bartlett School of Architecture.

With its local references, the project has strong Revivalist tones, while it also offers brief moments of calm for passing viewers. For more on why brands are creating these moments for consumers, see our New Sublimity macrotrend.