INDA Community Cinema

For the Design Construction Projects for Communities course in SS 2020-2021, Y3 students were tasked with the design and construction of a mobile Drive-In Cinema adhering to current social distancing regulations. For the project to be economically sustainable over a longer period and be to the service of various communities in Bangkok, several sites, programs, and festivals have been earmarked as potential opportunities for the installation and event of the Cinema project. It is thus with great enthusiasm and pleasure that we would like to submit this project for Bangkok Design Week 2021 in response to the theme of “Resurgence of Possibilities”. The design comprises two units, that can be assembled and disassembled into a series of smaller units, both for the ease of quick installation and transportation. Each unit is constructed from steel as its primary structure with Plastwood forming the infill panels of wall, floor, and roof. A deployable screen folds out of the unit and can be arranged into various configurations to aid multiple viewing requirements. Two tiers (an upper and a lower) are provided for seating. Finishes and a vibrant colour palette were chosen concerning cinema as a place for leisure and entertainment, but also as a nod to automobile infrastructure, signage, and so forth. Effectively the units serve the same purpose as the car; a contained structure from within which the viewer can watch a film. AV equipment can be hired to meet the specifications of the event and various factors that may impact the quality of the screening. These may even include “silent disco” headphones in locations where noise is a consideration. We believe that the project is an apt response to “Resurgence of Possibilities”, as a commentary foremost on the importance of a shared social experience (watching a film), and the possibilities or frameworks within which one could engage in such an activity through design in the context of public spaces. Might typologies of yesteryear, like the Drive-In Cinema, experience a resurgence and offer alternative solutions in a post-Covid era? We certainly believe they do.

Students: Prang Suriyapornpun, Thanapond Namnanthasith, Napat Kunapongkul, Hattakarn Lertyongphati, Prin Parinyanusorn, Tatiya Visetrit, Tamon Sawangnate, Chanuti Sukhumcharoenchit, Nuruemol Phonuangma, Klitee Limpawattanasiri, Ravinan Kumar, Nichapa Lumpikanont

Instructor: Christo Meyer

Photography by Christo Meyer, Thanapond Namnanthasith, Hattakarn Lertyongphati

Short Film by Christo Meyer