Montgomery Theater is a schematic design proposal for a movie theater and retail building for an up-and-coming Jersey City neighborhood. This project allows for 2 stories of full height glass retail fronting Montgomery street, parking garage access on Orchard street, and the third floor movie theater.
The movie theater level, which is a mysterious angular black form, is a reaction to the changing landscape of the movie industry. With Netflix, iTunes, streaming movies and the ever present DVD, there are many ways to see movies without going to the theater. We feel the big advantage the traditional theater has over these other media outlets is their ability to remove us from our familiar surroundings at home, and create an immersing experience that enhances the storytelling of the film.
It is this type of separation and immersion that the design enhances. From the exterior, the black form raised above the street is both separate from the typical street life but also evocative of the “black box” theater space within. The building lobby is marked by a gradient of magenta glass film that distinguishes the entrance on an otherwise regular facade. The magenta coloring is also evocative of one of the three basic colors of film and imagery. While ascending the escalators, the first glimpse of the interior of the theater becomes apparent creating a sense of destination. To add to the anticipation, slices movie imagery are spliced on the serrated edges of the lobby walls and the full image only becomes apparent as visitors moves through the space.
Overall the experience amplifies the experience of ascending up to the theater level and the destination nature of the theater.
