This article was originally published on Strelka Magazine.
This year’s Garage Screen summer cinema has been unveiled. The structure, located in front of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, is the result of an architectural competition organized by the museum and Strelka KB.
Resembling a flat-topped pyramid, the SYNDICATE architects-designed pop-up cinema invites viewers to watch films in a highly unique space in the middle of Gorky Park. While the structure is without walls, red velvet curtains create the illusion of a cozy, enclosed chamber where movie-goers can relax and allow themselves to get lost in the plot.
As film enthusiasts are invited to settle into the space, visitors to Moscow’s busiest park are encouraged to admire the eye-catching architecture of the cinema’s facade, which features the same dichroic film that is used to make protective phone cases. This results in a holographic appearance which provides a unique stage for light play, as showcased in stunning photos taken by renowned architecture photographer Iwan Baan.
“The cinema is open and translucent; it interacts with the building of the Garage Museum, with the Arts Square and the people who come here—thus we tried to interpret the idea of inclusivity in a broader sense,” said Viktor Stolbovoy, co-founder of the Moscow-based architecture firm SYNDICATE, which won the rights to design the cinema after competing in a contest organized by the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art and Strelka KB.
SYNDICATE competed against more than 130 teams from two dozen cities in Russia and beat out five other shortlisted proposals in order to win the task of building this year’s pop-up cinema. It follows last year’s Garage Screen cinema built by GRACE architects, which boasted a mirror surface that reflected the architecture of the museum building.
This year’s cinema, which stands proud and is complemented by a neon pink “Garage Screen” sign will be open until September. It will screen premieres and special programs, and collaborate with Russian film festivals.
The pavilion stands in front of the main building of the Garage Museum, which was designed by Rem Koolhaas and completed in 2015.
