Lightbox developments

The film festival announced earlier this spring that the new Lightbox building will open its doors to the public on September 12, 2010 — here's a quick look back on its development...

• Architects: Toronto-based KPMB (Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects); other projects: Koerner Concert Hall, National Ballet School, Gardiner Museum.
• Location: newly named "Reitman Square" (north-west block of King & John), in the Toronto Entertainment District

• Construction
  • 2007
    • TIFF home finally breaks ground
    • Let There Be Lightbox
  • 2008
    • Vision becoming reality for TIFF's future home
  • 2009
    • Inside Bell Lightbox
    • Getting Ready to Turn on the Lightbox
    • A peek inside TIFF’s skeletal new home, the Bell Lightbox
    • A tour inside TIFF’s Bell Lightbox
  • 2010
    • TIFF Offers Sneak Peek of Its Shiny New Lightbox
    • A peek inside the Bell Lightbox
    • Bell Lightbox: a red carpet preview
    • For the real film lover
      Illuminated: Inside TIFF’s new Lightbox
    • King Kong comes to King and John
    • A tour of the TIFF Bell Lightbox
    • Festival Grows Up
    • Lightbox illuminates city's future

• Building
  • 1st level (over-height)
    • entrance with "red carpet zone"
    • 2 galleries (opens: Essential Cinema + Nov: Tim Burton)
    • box-office
    • gift-shop
    • O&B Canteen, a street-front bistro/cafe
  • 2nd level (over-height)
    
    • Oliver & Bonacini’s Luma, an upscale/fine-dining restaurant, including the Blackberry Lounge bar
    • theatre #1 (capacity 550 w/balcony & 2 seat-boxes; 3-D + 70mm projection)
    • theatre #2 (capacity 350)
    • theatre #3 (capacity 250 w/piano for silent-film presentations)
    • green room
  • 3rd level (over-height; "learning floor")
    • master control room
    • theatre #4 (capacity 150)
    • theatre #5 (capacity 80; digital projection only; retractable seats)
    • Bell Blue Room lounge (cafe/bar for TIFF members)
    • 3 learning studios/education facilities
  • 4th level
    • reception + lounge
    • Canadian Film Gallery (opens TIFF@35; later Mary Pickford Collection)
    • Film Reference Library
    • Brian Linehan Foundation Research Room
    • study area, archives
  • 5th level
    • work areas, meeting rooms, offices
    • boardroom
    • internal screening room/theatre
  • 6th level (split/outdoors)
    • Oliver & Bonacini’s Malaparte event space (by Anacleto Design)
    • rooftop terrace (outdoor projection events)
      

[Four of five cinemas have been built as a “box within a box”, isolating them acoustically from any outside noise.]


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PS. The UrbanToronto forum has covered the construction from the beginning... (with pictures)

PPS. Update: A tour of Lightbox + Lightbox tour, part 2! :-)