 Oppenheimer poster at the BFI IMAX in 2023 | |
  BFI IMAX Location within Greater London | |
| Address | 1 Charlie Chaplin Walk South Bank London SE1 8XR United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°30′18″N0°06′49″W / 51.505°N 0.113611°W /51.505; -0.113611 |
| Public transit |  Waterloo Waterloo;Waterloo East |
| Owner | British Film Institute |
| Operator | British Film Institute (1999–2012, 2022–)Odeon Cinemas (2012–2022) |
| Type | Cinema |
| Capacity | 498 (plus 2 wheelchair spaces) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | May 1999; 26 years ago (1999-05) |
| Architect | Bryan Avery |
| Website | |
www | |
TheBFI IMAX is anIMAX cinema in theWaterloo district ofLondon, just north ofWaterloo station. It is owned and operated by theBritish Film Institute. From 2012 until 2022, it was operated byOdeon Cinemas.[1][2]
The cinema is located in the centre of a roundabout junction withWaterloo Road to the south-east,Stamford Street to the north-east,York Road to the south-west andWaterloo Bridge to the north-west.
BFI IMAX was designed byBryan Avery of Avery Associates Architects[3] and completed in May 1999. The screen is the largest in Britain (20 m (66 ft) high and 26 m (85 ft) wide). It has a seating capacity of 500 and a 14,000 W (19 hp) digital surround sound system. Although the site is surrounded by traffic and has anunderground line just four metres below, the architects and engineers accounted for this in their design and the entire upper structure sits on anti vibration bearings to prevent noise propagation.[4]
The cinema won several awards at the time of opening, including aDesign CouncilMillennium Product Award[5] in 1999 and aCivic Trust Award in 2000.[6]
In 2012, the screen was replaced and a digital IMAX projector was installed alongside the existing 70mm projector. In July 2012, the BFI announced thatOdeon Cinemas had been selected to operate it for the next five years, with the option of termination after three years. Odeon maintained the film programmes, and booking of tickets online and by telephone. This gave customers the opportunity to watch operas on the giant screen. The BFI retained power over the cinema's operation however, including parts of the film schedule, the name and the technical operation.[7]
To start this move to mainstream cinema, the BFI London IMAX theatre celebrated by having sold 66,000 pre-booked tickets forThe Dark Knight Rises in just five weeks, giving a total sale in tickets of £1,000,000 even before the premiere of the movie.
In June 2022, the BFI announced that its ten year concessions deal with Odeon would end on 19 July 2022, with the BFI regaining control of operations. The cinema closed on this date, with a planned re-opening on 22 July.[8]The Projection Team of Cesar Mendive Senior projectionist and Projection Supervisors Tiana Pisano and Elise Rethore are known for the high standards of presentation.[9]
London has another traditional IMAX cinema at theScience Museum inSouth Kensington and in December 2008 gained IMAX digital cinemas atOdeon cinemas inGreenwich andWimbledon. In 2011, a digital IMAX screen was also opened at the Odeon inSwiss Cottage.
The BFI IMAX is the largest cinema screen in the United Kingdom. It measures 25.9 m (85 ft) wide by 19.8 m (65 ft) tall with a total screen size of 512.8 m2 (5,520 sq ft) (289 m2 (3,110 sq ft) for a 2.39:1 film, 363 m2 (3,910 sq ft) for 1.85:1 and 469 m2 (5,050 sq ft) for IMAX 1.43:1).[10]
Before its October 2022 refurbishment it measured 26.5 m (87 ft) wide by 20 m (66 ft) tall, which meant that a film with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1 would only use 293 m2 (3,150 sq ft) of the screen, or 379 m2 (4,080 sq ft) for a 1.85:1 film and 491 m2 (5,290 sq ft) for an IMAX 1.43:1 film. The auditorium seats 493, including 4 wheelchair spaces.[11]
| Cinema | Screen | 2.39:1 area | 1.85:1 area | Projector | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cineworld (Empire) Leicester Square | IMAX | 295 m2 (3,180 sq ft) | 380 m2 (4,100 sq ft) | 2 x IMAX Laser (4K each) | IMAX 12ch |
| BFI IMAX | IMAX | 280 m2 (3,000 sq ft) | 365 m2 (3,930 sq ft) | 1 x IMAX single-laser (CoLa) (4K); 1 x traditional 15/70mm IMAX projector; 1 x Christie (4K) Laser projector 1 x Century JJ 35mm/70mm projector | IMAX 12ch; Dolby Digital; DTS |
| Science Museum | IMAX: The Ronson Theatre | 247 m2 (2,660 sq ft) | 319 m2 (3,430 sq ft) | 2 x IMAX Laser (4K each); 1 x traditional 15/70mm IMAX projector[12] | IMAX 12ch |
| Cineworld, the O2 | Superscreen #11 | 200 m2 (2,200 sq ft) | 160 m2 (1,700 sq ft) | 1 x Christie 2K or 4K (?)[citation needed] | Dolby Atmos |
| Cineworld (Empire) Leicester Square | Superscreen | 170 m2 (1,800 sq ft) | 220 m2 (2,400 sq ft) | 2 x Barco DP4K-32B (4K each) | Dolby Atmos |
| VUE Stratford | Xtreme Screen #5/6/7/17 | 140 m2 (1,500 sq ft) | 180 m2 (1,900 sq ft) | 2 x Sony SRX-R515DS (4K each) | Dolby Digital 6.1 |
51°30′18″N0°6′49″W / 51.50500°N 0.11361°W /51.50500; -0.11361