Emperor Cinemas’ New Evolution: First to Define a "Cinema+" Open Ecosystem by OFT Interiors

Amid the neon jungle of Beijing’s Sanlitun, a container of light and shadow carrying the DNA of cinema is taking shape.

In today’s hyper-competitive and homogenized cinema landscape, Oft Interiors and the Emperor Group, after a decade-long synergy, break through once more.

This collaboration marks a deep handshake between leaders of the design and entertainment industries—a pioneering experiment in a “cinema space revolution.” This isn’t simply a matter of adding functions. It’s a reprogramming of the entire moviegoing experience, overturning the traditional value model of cinema time.

Dissecting the Value of Time through Scenarios
Traditional cinemas divide time into a three-act structure: “waiting – watching – leaving.” Here, the model is expanded into a "full-cycle cinematic experience" that boosts time value by 300%:

Pre-movie (30 min): A social magnet
In-movie (120 min): Immersive experience
Post-movie (60 min): Entertainment gathering

The core of this reconfiguration is using space design to break the physical boundaries of watching a movie. The cinema is no longer just a closed container for content but now a platform in a “Cinema+” open ecosystem.

A Spiritual Living Room for Chinese Filmmakers
Located near embassies and Sanlitun’s cultural hub, the venue is inherently positioned for international dialogue. It’s not just for watching movies—it’s a meeting ground for the Chinese film industry.

With stars like Jackie Chan and Nicholas Tse teaming up with Beijing-based directors such as Feng Xiaogang and Guan Hu, this space becomes a real-life social venue for northern and southern film talents.

To serve this, Emperor created the VIP theater "TUN", meaning to accumulate strength and growth—an homage to its geographical location.

The design incorporates artistic influences from the 1960s and 70s, blending French classic artistry and craftsmanship with a touch of romanticism and freedom. A “tipsy time” concept invites informal social interaction.

Here, guests can host premieres, meet-and-greets, fan salons, and even whisky tasting sessions, customizing a hybrid “Cinema + Event” space.

“Photosynthesis”: A Deconstruction of Sensory Experience
The overall design theme is “Shimmer Park.” This concept deeply unpacks the sensory needs of modern urbanites.

"Shimmer" represents cold technological light—LED matrices and digital pulses.

"Park" evokes earthy memory—plants growing defiantly through concrete.

Together, they symbolize “photosynthesis,” triggering human-environment interactions and the circulation between film culture and spiritual civilization.

The color palette is gold and white:

- Gold triggers a primal affinity with sunlight and harvest, suggesting luxury.
- White balances the overstimulation, grounding emotional responses and maintaining mental clarity.

The space features fluid geometric lines—neither straight nor curved—evoking vines and shadows negotiating space.
Some corners surprise visitors with ferns casting golden LED shadows, simulating sunlight through trees.

Ritual Meets Function: Design Details
The entrance door handles, made of titanium alloy in partnership with Japan's UNION Group, symbolize the duality of cold metal and warm touch—a metaphor for balancing rationality and emotion in modern life.

The lighting gradually dims to deep-space gray at the start of a film, leaving only gold-toned accents around the seats, enhancing the ritual of collective dreaming in a streaming-dominated age.

Even the bathroom mirrors are dramatically designed with inspiration from Wes Anderson's symmetry in The Grand Budapest Hotel—elevating everyday actions into theatrical moments.

The “Cinema+” Open Ecosystem
Beyond restructuring time value, Emperor Cinemas reimagines what a cinema can be: a “Movie Lifestyle Pavilion” instead of just a dark room for films.

They launched their own F&B brand, CINEBITES, to break the “popcorn economy” cliché, offering:
-Daytime workspace
-Evening film screenings
-Late-night salons

It’s a restaurant, salon, and intellectual hub all in one.
All CINEBITES furniture features streamlined designs, inspired by Inception’s dreamscapes.
In its center, a tropical fern garden sits among booths designed to balance privacy and openness.

Subscribable, Programmable Spaces
CINEBITES doesn’t follow traditional restaurant layouts. It’s conceived as a “spatial operating system”:

-Movie fan communities can host film healing nights
-The space transforms into a content development platform
-Revenue per square meter exceeds that of traditional cinemas

Conclusion: A New Urban Cultural Magnet
OFT breaks boundaries, turning urban oases, director salons, and theme restaurants into vibrant, ongoing social scenes.
This space merges work, social life, and entertainment, allowing film culture to seep into everyday urban life—an innovative and inviting transformation, where everyone becomes part of the story.
“The future of business competition,” the article ends, “is ultimately about the efficiency of delivering meaning.”