Anne Klemm
Vanessa Bik
Innsbruck is facing a real estate crisis: 10% of housing remains vacant as investment properties, while affordable options are scarce. Despite the promotion of outdoor activities, the city’s cultural institutions—especially clubs and cultural centers—are closing down.
The Cineplexx, a four-story concrete building with over 7,000m² of floor space, was built in 2001 and is located in the Wilten district. It houses eight cinema halls, a club, a kindergarten, a café, and a restaurant. Positioned at Südring on the main route to the city center, this location has historically had a public function. It has always been a loud and busy meeting point, never serving a single homogeneous function.
SIGNA GROUP plans to demolish the Cineplexx to make way for luxury housing in a clear profit-driven approach, even including non-opening windows to address street noise.
Our project aims to inspire a new perspective on existing structures and spaces. By decladding and reorganizing the building, we reveal its inherent beauty and potential. We segmented the building into three parts: the two outer sections will be converted into diverse housing typologies, reconnecting with the surrounding block and courtyard. The central section, with its intertwined layout, will be transformed into community spaces for the public good, such as a dance studio, swimming pool, or children’s play palace. The inclined floors of the existing cinema halls will be reimagined as open amphitheaters and staircases, offering a reinterpretation of the difficult-to-alter concrete, turning it into a unique configuration that inspires public interaction.
The atrium in the center will illuminate a large public stairwell, entrance hall, and generous spaces where everyone can participate and benefit, creating an interior space that functions like an outdoor square.
The Cineplexx Cinema conceals a beauty and spatial luxury that would not be built with the same generosity today. This project uncovers the hidden potential of a sleeping giant, offering it a new stage of life and demonstrating a responsible way to engage with our built environment.
