For more information, see the Official BFI Southbank website. It is a place to head to see old films, film seasons from specific actors or directors or new and interesting films. The BFI Southbank is also not a normal blockbuster style cinema it is an art house cinema. If you are looking for a less dramatic cinema experience you will find the BFI Southbank in easy walking distance of the IMAX. It is worth bearing in mind that the IMAX cinema is not a run of the mill cinema.
Simply cross the main roundabout road and head to the BFI IMAX entrance. As you leave the Waterloo tube station exit you will be able to see the BFI IMAX building directly in front of you (you will not be able to miss its distinctive cylindrical shape). When you arrive at Waterloo underground station you will need to head to the main station exit. Also, during the evening performance, once the film has started the snack shop closes.Ĭlosest Tube: Waterloo ( Brown Line / Bakerloo Line and Blue Line / Piccadilly Line) The steep nature of the seating and the necessity of a lift make it harder to get in and out of the auditorium. It is a good idea to decide on whether you will want any snacks before the film starts. There is also a small outdoor terrace area where you can bring your drinks and enjoy the sunshine (if there is any!). It has tables and chairs or sofas to sit on. The bar on the first floor is a sociable space to get alcoholic drinks and snacks (such as crisps, nuts and olives). It is also where you can pick up your snacks to eat whilst you watch your film - popcorn, sweets and all of the usual favourites. The café offers the opportunity to sit and grab a bite to eat or a soft drink before or after the performance. There are two options of places to eat and drink whilst you are at the BFI IMAX - there is a café on the ground floor and a bar on the first floor. For more information on this, it is best to check the official website - link below. It is an opportunity to see operas that are showing at opera houses such as the Met for a fraction of the price that the live ticket would cost. Sometimes the BFI IMAX will feature an opera that is being performed in one of London's opera venues - something for the grown-ups. For this reason, the structure sits on anti-vibration bearings. In designing the building, he had to take into account the fact that the screen sits at the centre of a roundabout and has an underground line running four metres below it. It was designed by architect Brian Avery. It shows anything from wildlife films to all-night Lord of the Rings marathons. The cinema does not tend to screen the sort of current blockbuster films you will find in normal multiplexes. It is so high that you will need to take an elevator to get to your seat in the cinema if you have one of the seats towards the back of the auditorium! The cinema screen is larger than any cinema screen you are likely to have watched a film on before. The cinema often screens 3D films, offering an all-consuming experience as you see the film in 3D, on a 540 metre squared screen with a 12,000 Watt digital surround sound system. There is a capacity for 500 people in the cinema. However, it is 20 metres high and 26 metres wide. What to expect at the Imax and what makes the cinema specialĪ specialist cinema owned by the BFI (British Film Institute).
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Here you will find advice on what to expect at the cinema, links to ticketing, a guide to how to get to the cinema from the closest tube and contact details.
The screen wraps around the front of the cinema and stretches from the floor to the ceiling of the room - making for an all-encompassing experience. Enter the cinema itself and find yourself confronted by a screen that is 20 metres high and 26 metres wide. You will step into a cosy world of fluffy red carpets, twinkly spotlights that are dotted across the ceiling and the distinctive smell of buttery popcorn. To get to the cinema entrance, you will need to head down a tunnel outside the station door, away from the noise of the traffic, emerging at the glass sliding doors that lead you to the foyer area. The cylindrical glass building sits at the heart of a busy roundabout next to Waterloo station, rising from its centre like a futuristic space ship. IMAX cinema in Waterloo You may have seen the Waterloo IMAX during your trip already and not realised what it was - it does not look like your normal multiplex cinema.