DSDHA

Concept
Where the obelisk at St Georges Circus marks the entrance to London, the IMAX on Waterloo Circus will claim its significance as the identifiable entrance to the Cultural Quarter of the South Bank for local residents, tourists and commuters. With the recent advancements in 4d technology, the IMAX has finally come of age. We have carved, remodelled and overclad the existing building with a dynamic digital screen which reflects both its dynamic future and the richness of its connection to the BFI and the culture of film.  

Legible and easy connections.
By instinct/choice, people choose to walk on the ground. The IMAX is given a new street level entrance and visible connections are carved through the site to give presence and identity to each of the buildings addressing Waterloo Circus. Existing streetscapes have been decluttered, with new crossings and a unified surface, creating unhindered safe access to all transport modes and destinations from the river to the Old Vic.

A meeting of levels.  
The ground is gracefully unfolded around the IMAX to create a seamless new connection to its lower entrance and onwards to engage Kings College, Doon Street and the South Bank. This new route replaces the existing labyrinth of subterranean routes with a continuous line of cultural and commercial activity from The Cut, through Waterloo Circus to the Thames at National Theatre Square, bringing together new and existing life.

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