Light House Cinema Update

We don’t have long now until the launch of the new Light House Cinema Smithfield (15 days to be precise). With this in mind, we thought we’d bring you some of the photos from their new building.

This will be a new four-screen arthouse cinema with 600 seats, a cafe and bar.  The complex will be operated by Neil Connolly and Maretta Dillon, who ran the two-screen Light House Cinema on Middle Abbey Street until it closed in 1996.

According to Neil Connolly, the “Light House at Smithfield will act as the cultural hub for the rejuvenated Smithfield area, presenting a richly diverse and individual programme of the best Irish, independent, foreign-language, art house and classic cinema. Building on the tradition of the old Light House Cinema, we’ll offer an experience that is that bit different, that bit special.”

DTA Architects were commissioned for the project and have produced  a beautiful, 21st Century vision that makes imaginative use of contrasting materials and voids.  “The development involves the insertion of four cinema volumes into the underground voids,” explains architect Colin Mackay. “The organisation and distribution of screens will allow patrons to walk over, under and around the forms, affording an alternative and dramatic cinema experience. All four destinations will be a counterpoint to the exterior and distinctly different to each other in size, scale, finish and detail, offering a range of experience from the intimate 68 seat screen to a spacious 277 seat screen.”

You can check out the progress below. These photos were taken in March (so you’ll need to scrap on your imagination caps to get the full picture!)



















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The new Light House Cinema will opens its doors May 9th. For anyone  who wants  to sneak a peek, the cinema will be hosting the Charity Premiere of “The Waiting Room” on Thursday, May 8th, the day before its official opening.

The event is in support of Threshold, the national housing agency, a near-neighbour, based in Stoneybatter. The film is a hugely entertaining debut from British writer/director Roger Goldby,  staring Anne-Marie Duff as a woman involved in a relationship with her married neighbour (Rupert Graves) and falling for caring man (Ralf Little), whose own life is less than perfect.

Tickets for the screening at 8:00 PM and a champagne reception on arrival at 7.30PM are €15. Tickets are available only from Threshold.


For more information about Threshold: www.threshold.ie

For more about The Waiting Room: www.thewaitingroomfilm.com

To visit the lighthouse cinema page – click here