BFI IMAX

The BFI IMAX stands in London’s Waterloo district, just north of Waterloo station. It sits at the centre of a roundabout where Waterloo Road, Stamford Street, York Road and Waterloo Bridge meet. The building was designed by Bryan Avery of Avery Associates Architects and completed in May 1999. The site is surrounded by traffic and an underground line runs four metres below, yet the upper structure rests on anti-vibration bearings to keep noise out. The cinema has won awards including a Design Council Millennium Product Award in 1999 and a Civic Trust Award in 2000. The screen is the largest in Britain, measuring 26 metres wide and nearly 20 metres high. It can seat 493 people, with four spaces for wheelchair users. The auditorium has a 14,000-watt digital surround sound system and three projectors: a 70 mm IMAX projector, dual digital IMAX laser projectors and a standard D-Cinema system. In 2012 the screen was replaced and laser projectors were added, allowing operas and blockbusters to fill the giant frame. Before refurbishment it measured slightly larger, but the current size still covers over 500 square metres. Inside, the auditorium slopes gently upward from the wide, curved screen. The walls are plain, letting the image dominate. Outside, the roundabout hums with buses and taxis, yet the cinema’s isolation on bearings keeps the hall quiet. Waterloo Bridge arches nearby, and the South Bank’s cafes and bookshops are a short walk away. Films play in IMAX 1.43:1, 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 ratios, each using a different portion of the vast screen.