OMA Cinema, IMAX, And Vox Cinema Collaboration Opens In Dubai
The Oma designed IMAX Vox Cinema theater in Dubai features dual laser projection, 12-channel sounds ... More and seven booths.
A couple of weeks back, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was released into cinemas for a limited run to celebrate its 20th anniversary. I went along to see it in 4DX format, which involves seats that move in sync with the on-screen action, along with other effects such as flashing lights, air blasts, and kicks in the back. It was fab! Being tipped forward and back in my seat as Obi-Wan says his classic 'another happy landing' line was every bit as much fun as I had hoped.
Revenge of the Sith shows us the Galactic Senate, first introduced on screen in Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace and also making regular appearances on our TVs right now in the superb second series of Andor on Disney+.
Some years ago, I wrote about Oma Cinema, a French company that was looking to create an entirely new cinema experience with a bold new design. Everyone who saw the pictures immediately noted the similarity to the Galactic Senate in Star Wars, but when I put this to the co-founder in an interview, he claimed, much to my surprise, that this wasn't deliberate and that no one had noticed the resemblance.
I admit that I hadn't realised that Oma Cinema had made good on its promises and, just a few weeks ago, it opened a theater in Dubai. A refurbishment of an existing IMAX theater, this is a collaboration between the local Vox Cinema chain and IMAX. Equipped with a dual-laser IMAX laser projector and a 12-channel sound system, the room has a total of 255 seats.
Patrons get to enjoy the company of four others in each of the booths.
As you can see in the image, the Galactic Senate vibes are strong with this design, and while somewhat disappointingly they don't float and move, the seven circular pods offer five seats for a more intimate viewing experience with friends or family.
All the seats in the room also offer large recliners and trays for food and snacks. While I admit food in the cinema is not something I feel I need, I do admit that more legroom would be nice, especially with the long running times of many films.
In the designs I saw all those years ago, the pods were noticeably close to the screen, but in the Dubai theater they are at the back. The screen in this Vox theater is 23m wide by 12.3m high, so not huge compared to the 19.8m high screen in the BFI IMAX. As such, I do wonder if you'd be sacrificing visual impact for comfort and some snacks. Still, as they are in different parts of the world, it's hardly an either/or scenario. As a refurbishment, the projection room and screen had to remain in their original positions, so, evidently, this is something of a real-world compromise.
While a trip to Dubai isn't on my immediate agenda, should I ever find myself there, I'd certainly want to try it out. I'd also be keen to see what an OMA Cinema/IMAX cinema built from the ground up would look like — I'm sure it would be out of this world.
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