BFI IMAX

BFI IMAX is a landmark large-format cinema in the South Bank and Waterloo area of London, England. The venue stands at a prominent roundabout junction close to Waterloo station, Waterloo Road, Stamford Street, York Road and Waterloo Bridge. It is owned and operated by the British Film Institute, a publicly supported cultural organisation responsible for promoting and preserving film in the United Kingdom. The cinema was designed by architect Bryan Avery of Avery Associates Architects and completed in May 1999. Its construction addressed an unusually demanding urban site: the building is surrounded by heavy road traffic and an underground railway line runs only a few metres below it. To reduce the transmission of vibration and noise into the auditorium, the upper structure was mounted on anti-vibration bearings. The resulting building became both a functioning cinema and a highly visible piece of late-1990s civic architecture. BFI IMAX was designed around one of the largest cinema screens in Britain. The auditorium originally had a screen approximately 26 metres wide and 20 metres high, while the post-refurbishment dimensions are approximately 25.9 metres by 19.8 metres. The screen supports different aspect ratios, allowing films mastered for the very tall 1.43:1 IMAX format to use substantially more of the available surface than conventional widescreen presentations. The auditorium has approximately 500 seats, including wheelchair spaces, and is equipped with high-power digital surround sound. The venue received architectural and civic recognition soon after opening, including a Design Council Millennium Product Award in 1999 and a Civic Trust Award in 2000. Its programming initially reflected the British Film Institute's cultural and educational mission, but the site also became an important London destination for mainstream event cinema, major studio releases and large-format film presentations. A significant technical and operating transition took place in 2012. The screen was replaced, and dual digital IMAX laser-powered projectors were installed alongside an existing 70mm IMAX projector. The cinema also retained standard digital cinema capability and had the capacity to show 35mm and conventional 70mm film when appropriate. That upgrade broadened the venue's technical range and helped it serve both specialist film audiences and commercially prominent releases. In the same year, the BFI selected Odeon Cinemas to operate the venue under a concession arrangement. Odeon managed programming and ticket-booking functions for much of the following decade, while the BFI retained authority over important aspects of the cinema's identity, technical operation and parts of the schedule. The arrangement enabled the venue to present a wider range of mainstream programming, including large releases and filmed opera performances. The opening of this more commercially oriented phase was associated with strong advance demand for The Dark Knight Rises, for which the cinema reportedly sold 66,000 pre-booked tickets and reached £1 million in advance ticket sales before the film's premiere. In June 2022, the BFI announced that its ten-year concession with Odeon would end on 19 July 2022. The BFI then resumed direct operational control. The cinema closed briefly during the changeover and was scheduled to reopen on 22 July 2022. A refurbishment completed around October 2022 resulted in the current published screen dimensions and an auditorium configuration of approximately 493 seats, including four wheelchair spaces. BFI IMAX remains a specialist exhibition venue whose identity combines the BFI's cultural remit with the spectacle of premium large-format cinema. Its principal offering is not a packaged consumer product but an in-person theatrical experience: films presented on one of the United Kingdom's largest screens, with IMAX projection and sound capabilities, alongside selected cultural and event programming.

BFI IMAX was completed in May 1999 on a prominent urban site in Waterloo, London, immediately north of Waterloo station. The project was designed by Bryan Avery of Avery Associates Architects. Its engineering was shaped by the site's difficult surroundings: major roads encircle the building and an underground railway line passes only about four metres beneath it. The upper structure was therefore supported on anti-vibration bearings intended to reduce the transfer of movement and noise into the cinema. The completed venue was conceived as a major IMAX auditorium and quickly became notable for its scale. Its original screen was approximately 26 metres wide and 20 metres high, making it one of the largest cinema screens in Britain. The auditorium provided seating for roughly 500 people and included a powerful digital surround-sound system. The building received a Design Council Millennium Product Award in 1999 and a Civic Trust Award in 2000, reflecting both its architectural ambitions and its civic presence. For much of its early life, the cinema operated in association with the BFI's film and cultural mission. It screened IMAX productions and other large-format material, while its location and distinctive screen made it suitable for high-profile theatrical releases. The venue later broadened its role to include more mainstream commercial cinema and event programming. In 2012, BFI IMAX underwent a significant technical upgrade. The existing screen was replaced, and dual digital IMAX laser-powered projectors were installed alongside the existing 70mm IMAX projector. The venue also had standard digital cinema equipment and the ability to present 35mm and standard 70mm film. This combination allowed it to support both contemporary digital releases and selected photochemical or specialist presentations. That year, the BFI selected Odeon Cinemas to operate the venue under a concession agreement lasting ten years, with an earlier termination option. Odeon handled ticketing and much of the day-to-day programming, including the addition of filmed opera and other event screenings. The BFI nevertheless retained influence over the cinema's name, technical operation and parts of the film schedule. The arrangement also gave the venue a more prominent role in mainstream release cinema. The Dark Knight Rises generated particularly strong advance demand, with 66,000 tickets reportedly sold before its premiere and advance sales reported at £1 million. In June 2022, the BFI announced that the concession would end on 19 July 2022. The cinema closed during the handover and was planned to reopen on 22 July with the BFI again controlling operations. Around October 2022, the auditorium was refurbished or reconfigured. Published specifications after the refurbishment describe a screen approximately 25.9 metres wide and 19.8 metres high, with around 493 seats, including four wheelchair spaces. BFI IMAX's continuing role is that of a specialist exhibition venue rather than a separate film-production company or financial-services brand. It combines the BFI's institutional and cultural identity with the commercial appeal of premium large-format film. Its programming can include major studio films, IMAX material, special presentations, filmed opera and other event cinema. The venue's central London location, unusually large screen and flexible projection infrastructure are the principal elements of its identity.

1. 2022BFI resumes direct operational control

   The BFI's concession with Odeon ended on 19 July, after which the BFI resumed control of operations.

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2. 2022Post-refurbishment auditorium specifications

   After refurbishment around October, published specifications described an approximately 25.9-metre by 19.8-metre screen and an auditorium seating about 493 people.

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3. 2012Screen and projection upgrade

   The screen was replaced and dual digital IMAX laser-powered projectors were installed alongside the existing 70mm IMAX projector and other projection systems.

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4. 2012Odeon begins concession operation

   Odeon Cinemas was selected to operate the venue under a ten-year concession arrangement.

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5. 2000Civic Trust Award

   The venue received a Civic Trust Award in recognition of its design and civic contribution.

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6. 1999Cinema completed and opened

   The BFI IMAX building, designed by Bryan Avery of Avery Associates Architects, was completed in May 1999 in Waterloo, London.

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7. 1999Design Council Millennium Product Award

   The newly completed cinema received a Design Council Millennium Product Award.

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A flagship London large-format cinema combining the British Film Institute's cultural and curatorial role with premium IMAX presentation, major commercial releases and special-event screenings.

• IMAX feature-film presentationsLarge-format cinema exhibition1999

  The venue's core offering is theatrical presentation of films in the IMAX format. Its exceptionally large screen is designed to provide a more immersive image than a conventional auditorium, while the IMAX projection and sound systems support premium presentations of major releases and specialist large-format material.

• Mainstream theatrical releasesCommercial cinema

  BFI IMAX presents selected high-profile commercial films, particularly releases that benefit from a large screen and premium sound. The venue's mainstream role expanded during the Odeon concession period and remains complementary to its BFI-led cultural identity.

• Special-format film screeningsFilm exhibition2012

  In addition to digital IMAX projection, the cinema has supported 70mm IMAX, standard 70mm and 35mm presentations. These capabilities allow selected screenings to be marketed around film format, archival value or the visual qualities of photochemical projection.

• Event cinemaCultural cinema2012

  The auditorium has also been used for event cinema, including filmed opera and other performance-related presentations. This broadens the venue beyond conventional film screenings and uses its large screen and auditorium for cultural programming.

• 2012The Dark Knight Rises advance-ticket programme

  United Kingdom

  The venue used the release of The Dark Knight Rises to demonstrate the commercial potential of its large-format auditorium during the move toward broader mainstream cinema programming. Advance sales reportedly reached 66,000 tickets and £1 million before the premiere.

  Outcome. The reported advance demand positioned BFI IMAX as a major London destination for premium presentations of blockbuster films.

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• 2022Return to direct BFI operationStrategy

  The BFI's ten-year concession arrangement with Odeon was scheduled to end in July 2022.

  What changed. The BFI ended the concession on 19 July 2022, temporarily closed the venue during the transition and planned a reopening under direct BFI control.

  Aftermath. BFI IMAX was scheduled to reopen on 22 July 2022, restoring direct operational responsibility to its owner.

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• 2012Appoint Odeon as concession operatorStrategy

  The BFI sought to broaden the venue's operating model and support more mainstream film and event programming while retaining control over important institutional and technical matters.

  What changed. Odeon Cinemas was selected to operate the cinema, manage ticket booking and maintain much of the film programme under a ten-year concession arrangement.

  Aftermath. The arrangement brought stronger mainstream-release and event-cinema activity to the venue. The BFI retained authority over the cinema's name, technical operation and parts of its schedule.

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• 2012Upgrade to digital IMAX projectionGeneration change

  The cinema required updated projection infrastructure while preserving the ability to show specialist film formats.

  What changed. The screen was replaced and dual digital IMAX laser-powered projectors were installed alongside the existing 70mm IMAX projector, with standard digital, 35mm and standard 70mm capability also available.

  Aftermath. The venue gained greater flexibility for contemporary digital releases and format-specific screenings.

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• 2022Odeon concession at BFI IMAX to end as BFI resumes operations

  The British Film Institute announced that its ten-year operating concession with Odeon Cinemas would end on 19 July 2022, after which the BFI would regain direct control of the cinema.

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• 2022BFI IMAX scheduled to reopen after operational transition

  Following the end of the Odeon concession and a short closure, BFI IMAX was scheduled to reopen on 22 July 2022 under renewed BFI operational control.

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• 2012BFI IMAX attracts major advance demand for The Dark Knight Rises

  During the transition toward broader mainstream programming, the venue reported 66,000 pre-booked tickets for The Dark Knight Rises and £1 million in ticket sales before the film's premiere.

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1. BFI IMAX
2. BFI IMAX official page