METRO was hired to renovate the cinemas of Unibanco following the company’s merger with Banco Itaú. These nine major movie theatres, now know as Espaço Itaú de Cinema, include over fifty projection rooms in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Brasilia, Curitiba and Porto Alegre. A design system was developed and applied to these diverse conditions based on the following principles:

OBJECTIVES
. Create interventions giving unity to cinemas with the Itaú brand, lending them the sense of a singular brand experience.

. Transport the visitor into the universe of contemporary cinema.

.  Create interventions that respect the history of each cinema location.

. Create interventions that solve functional problems and form standard solutions.

. Create a flexible design system that can be implemented quickly and with minimal construction.

STRATEGIES
. Treat the cinema as a public space, guaranteeing clear and free flowing paths.

. Use high quality materials, which are resistant and durable, requiring minimal maintenance and that are compatible with areas of intense use.

. Develop a modular system of finishes, signage and furniture that may be applied to all spaces.

. Use digital technology as means to communicate all information where possible.

. Use technology to ease the entertainment experience.

. Refine the presentation of promotional material in order to reduce visual ‘pollution’.

technical information

Project Start: 2011

Project Completion: 2012

Architectural Design: Gustavo Cedroni e Martin Corullon

Collaborators: Filipe Barrocas, Ricardo Canton, Marcelo E.M. Macedo, Marina Ioshii, Bruno Kim, Pedro Mesquita, Antonia Peña, Alfonso Simelio, Luís Tavares and Rafael de Sousa

Visual communication project: Nu Design