Mecanoo was selected to renovate and transform the Royal-Rivoli in Heerlen into a cinema hub for the community. The Royal-Rivoli, is the second building designed by architect Frits Peutz to be given a new life by Mecanoo. The firm has also been successful in its bid to renew the Heerlen City Hall and Municipal Offices in 2017.
Peutz’s design dates to 1937, making the Royal one of the biggest and most luxurious cinema in the Netherlands. In 1957, architect Frits Peutz was commissioned to design the Rivoli located right behind the Royal, on a triangular plot.
The Royal-Rivoli will be a vibrant place that enables a wide range of activities, both indoors and outdoors. The design will deliver a new connecting foyer, the restored original theatre hall, new cinema halls, restaurant-café, editing rooms, workshop space and a new rooftop. In search of the best location for the new cinema halls, Mecanoo has optimized the wide range of facilities, enhancing them with a full range of programming options and a high degree of flexibility.
The new insertion between the Royal and the Rivoli articulates elegantly the different parts of the building. Highly glazed and transparent, the new façades will showcase the activities inside. Next to the transparent north façade, the foyer is visually connected to the square.
While approaching the building visitors can experience the lively interior, the spaciousness of the complex with its sculptural staircase, and the halls. The foyer will be the heart of the complex. Together with the restaurant-café, this will create a vibrant meeting space for the community.
The new recessed volume on the roof has a winding facade sensitive to the original architecture of Frits Peutz. A beautiful roof terrace for outdoor events served by a public sky bar and three workshop rooms are located at this level. Movable walls can connect or divide the spaces to accommodate a wide range of activities.