Nova Cinema Woking
Nova Cinema is the rebranded, remodelled and refitted ATG owned cinema in Woking. Formerly known as the Ambassadors Cinema, we have remodelled the interior foyer and bars to create a modern and stylish destination cinema with seven screens and 928 seats. Together with the neighbouring New Victoria Theatre and Rhoda McGaw theatre, the Nova Cinema forms part on an integrated performing arts destination for the community of Woking and surrounding catchment.
All of the seven the screens have been completely remodelled with stadium seating and new projection and sound systems. Screen 1 with 261 seats is equipped with laser projection, a full width 15.5 m screen and ‘Atmos’ sound for the best 3D cinema experience. Screen 7 has been transformed into an intimate luxury cinema with fully reclining seats and the adjacent Nova Bar.
The concept for the interior juxtaposes classic references of 20th century movie houses and picture palaces with the raw materials of the original 1980’s building that have been deliberately exposed to make the most of the constrained volumes of the lobbies and bars. Red velvet is used as a signifier to guide the cinema goer from the link bridge and ramped corridor to the screens – the corridors themselves use linear and circular lighting to create movement and anticipation.
In the entrance foyer a dense grid a lightbulbs is fixed to the sloping concrete belly of the auditorium above to create a sense of place – a devise repeated at the upper foyer which forms a link to the theatres next door. Vibrant colours and illuminated signage are used to highlight customer facilities in the foyer in contrast with the monotones of the walls and floors.
Leading to the screens a custom designed red carpet and themed wall graphic changes the mood in anticipation of the cinema screens. Upstairs, the theme is changed to blue for the Nova Bar which leads to the luxury screen 7 and the Nova Suite, a fully equipped media learning facility available for hire for events and presentations that will also house the Woking digital archive.
Following many months of design development and with funding from Woking Council, work started on side in November 2019. After the inevitable delays caused by Covid 19, the contractor GF Holding was able to hand the building back to ATG to open for the public on 15 October 2020
Client - Ambassador Theatre Group
The Design Team
Architect and Interior Design - Wren Architecture & Design
Project Manager and Contract Administrator - Equals
Quantity Surveyor - Unick Consultants
Mechanical and Electrical Design, RIBA Stage 1-3 - Delta Green
Mechanical Design, RIBA Stages 4-5 - Wilden Services
Electrical Design, RIBA Stages 4-5 - JD Electrical
Acoustic Design - Cole Jarman
Structural Design - Doran Consulting and Arco Engineering