The bare bones of the Cinerama lobby.
	Cinerama’s spectacularly refurbished auditorium.

Save the Cinerama

Investor, philanthropist and Seattle native Paul G. Allen has a fondness for the Cinerama Theatre that began in his youth, viewing films there such as “Battle of the Bulge,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and later, “Blade Runner.” When he heard that the Cinerama might close to become a rock-climbing club, dinner theater or parking lot, he signed a “Save the Cinerama” petition in hope of preserving this important piece of Seattle’s cinematic history. Shortly afterward, he gave more than his signature to save it—he became the owner of the only remaining Super Cinerama theater in the world.

In June, 1998, a multi-million dollar renovation of the theater began - a full interior and exterior refurbishing that involved everything from fixing the leaky roof to installing state-of-the-art sound and projection technologies to ensuring maximum accessibility for mobility- and sensory-impaired patrons.

With great fanfare, a grand re-opening celebration took place on April 22, 1999 to welcome the theater back into commission.


The Renovation
The magnificently refurbished 808-seat Cinerama Theatre combines the best of mid-century architecture with breakthrough advances in motion picture technologies and theater acoustics.

Entering the Cinerama's lobby, patrons are swept back to 1963, the year the theater originally opened. Lavish blue and green Italian mosaic tile, grape purple and olive green wallpaper and richly patterned carpet set the tone, while its snack stand menu boards and red mohair chairs borrow design motifs from the early '60s.

There's nothing retro about the technology enhancements at the new Cinerama. New technologies also play a role in Cinerama's forward-thinking accessibility features. True to its namesake, the new Cinerama also features a completely restored curved screen for special presentations of 3-strip films such as "How The West Was Won" and 70mm Cinerama classics like "2001: A Space Odyssey."

This massive, 90-foot-long, 30-foot-high screen, constructed of 2,000 independently angled louvered strips, provides a clear, brilliant picture for patrons sitting anywhere in the theater. For screenings of modern 70mm/35mm first-run movies, however, Cinerama architects developed a second screen that sits immediately in front of its massive counterpart. An impressive display of engineering, this modular 68-foot-long screen breaks down in a matter of hours in preparation for special Cinerama presentations on the larger screen.

Cinerama Today
Today, as the world realizes the importance of the Cinerama art form in motion picture history, serious efforts are being made to ensure that a whole new generation of movie buffs will be able to experience the magic of Cinerama. Currently, there are three places in the world still capable of showing three-panel Cinerama films: Seattle’s Cinerama Theatre, the Cinerama Dome at ArcLight Cinemas in Los Angeles, and a screening room in a museum in Bradford, England.

The 1999 re-opening of Paul G. Allen's restored Cinerama Theatre in Seattle brings new hope that the revolutionary art form will be preserved for generations to come. Audiences well into the 21st century – and beyond – will be able to experience the magnificence of the three-eyed and 70mm Cinerama format that captivated America 40 years ago!