Nouveau vaisseau-amiral de l’avenue de la Canebière, artère multiple du centre-ville, l’Artplexe prend sa vitesse de croisière, à deux pas du Vieux-Port. On vient y vivre une expérience-cinéma inédite...© Artplexe Canebière / Cyril Chauvin.
Indépendant, La Cascade adhère à l’association régionale Cinémas du Sud & Tilt, ainsi qu’au GNCR (Groupement National des Cinémas de Recherche).
ARTPLEXE CANEBIÈRE, MARSEILLE
Films, art, food.
This big triangular building made of stone, glass and metal, was designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte and built by MAP Architecture of Marseille. It fits nicely with its surroundings and offers a quite different futuristic vision to the bandstand on Square Léon Blum just across the way. It’s been a long time coming, but at last the new culture and leisure hub is open to one and all. Seven film theatres with all the latest technology, including one that can be converted for live shows and meetings; a big foyer, four floors, 996 seats, lounge space and two restaurants already open – the Blum brasserie with street-level terrace and the Les Réformés on the roof, with a sharing menu. In a word, this complex will give the famous Canebière a welcome boost and change consumer habits in the area. There’s something for everyone on the cinema menu: French films, foreign films (dubbed or subtitled) and a selection of art films complementing the selection at the nearby Variétés. With Covid still in full swing, the increasing appeal of streaming, and the majors no longer producing just for the cinema, change is essential if cinemas are to survive. They must “reinvent themselves,” says Philippe Dejust, founder of Cap Cinéma (France’s fourth-biggest cinema chain) and chairman of Artplexe Canebière.
125 La Canebière, 13001 Marseille - artplexe-canebiere.com
LA CASCADE, MARTIGUES
Moving into town.
The Cascade is set back from the street, flanked by the curved facades of two sparkling white buildings on the east side of town. The old Jean Renoir independent art cinema moved here last autumn, changing its name in the process. Apartments, businesses and a brasserie bring the buzz of life to the cinema’s doorstep. Its offering has diversified, with art films, heritage films, films for young audiences, and practical arts workshops.
35 cours du 4 Septembre, 13500 Jonquières - cinemamartigues.com
Avec le complexe urbain Le Spot, la Ciotat ambitionne le pari d’une culture de proximité et de loisirs, bien repensée. © Alfonso Femia Atelier(s) et Yohan Brandt
CGR LE SPOT LA CIOTAT
Multiplex era.
This concrete box on the edge of town is part of an urban development and leisure complex designed by Atelier (s) Alfonso Femia. The project has been designed to encourage generational mixing and it’s a big success. The multiplex offers previews, OV films and events and includes privately bookable theatres. Outside, the newly planted vegetation will grow and soften the effect of the big grey concrete block with its sparse slit windows. Inside, there are eight theatres with a total of 1307 seats: a Dolby Atmos surround sound, 4K laser images for spectacular effects, reclining seats, a gaming area and a cine-café. While the Eden on the seafront (the world’s oldest cinema, built in 1889 and faithfully renovated in 2013) embodies tradition, this newcomer near the A50 motorway is at the forefront of innovation.
756 avenue Emile Bodin, 13600 La Ciotat
www.cgrcinemas.fr/laciotat
By Caroline Guiol
