(First Place, 1997 ISP/VM SD International Store Interior Design Competition — Entertainment Facility (Non-Food Oriented))
AMC's first totally themed freestanding theater is based on a studio backlot where guests will feel as though they are on a sound stage. Three theater wings in the 110,000-sq.-ft. complex are “sets” themed after movie genres: Cyberspace, Action/Adventure and Animation. The Animation area features “blimp” directional signs in a blue sky with flat clouds, and architectural features are outlined in black to recall animation cels. The Action/Adventure area resembles a rain forest with wet leaves, bamboo and rock directional signs. Fiberoptic eyes that change color peer out from behind leaves, and custom-designed carpet represents a river with grass along its banks. Cyberspace features brushed-aluminum walls with ceiling and floor in the same color. Inside the lobby, black and white clapper directional signs on pulleys show visitors to one of 30 theaters.
Client: AMC Studio 30, Houston
Design: Kiku Obata Company, St. Louis; AMC Studio 30, Houston
Architecture: Gould Evans Goodman, Kansas City, Mo. Engineers: Engineers Consortium, Leawood, Kan.; Norton Schmidt Engineers, Kansas City, Mo.
General Contractor: MBK Construction Ltd., Laguna Nigel, Calif.
Signage Fabricators: Adcon, Ft. Collins, Colo.; Design Communications, Boston/Orlando; Federal Sign, West Hartford, Conn.
Flooring: Bentley Carpets, City of Industry, Calif.; Crossville Ceramics, Crossville, Tenn.; Interstyle, Vancouver, Wash.; American Olean Tile Co., Lansdale, Pa.; Innovative Ceramics Inc., Rosewell, Ga.; Florida Tile, Lakeland, Fla.; Graniti Fiandre, Itasca, Ill.; Innovative Marble and Tile, Hauppauge, N.Y.; Forbo Industries Inc, Hazleton, Pa.
Wallcoverings: Sherwin Williams, Cleveland
Vinyl Base: Armstrong World Industries, Lancaster, Pa.; Allstate Rubber Corp., Queens, N.Y.; Roppe Corp., Fostoria, Ohio
Illustrator for custom wallcovering: Bill Mayer, Decatur, Ga.
Fabric Wallcovering: DesignTex Inc, New York City
Decorative Coatings: Duroplex, Houston; Crafton Plus, Dallas; Ferroxtone, Dallas; Zolatone, N. Billerica, Mass.
Wood Veneer: Ventec Veneer Technologies Ltd., Chicago
Ceiling Tiles: USG Interiors Inc., Chicago Solid Surface: DuPont Corian, Wilmington, Del.; Gibralter National Corp., Detroit; Formica Corp., Cincinnati
Plastic Laminates: Formica Corp., Cincinnati; Nevamar Intl. Paper, Odenton, Md.; Wilsonart Intl., Temple, Texas; Pionite Decorative Laminates, Auburn, Maine; ABET Laminati, Englewood, N.J.; Arborite, Hazleton, Pa.
Lighting: Halo Lighting Brand Cooper Lighting, Elk Grove Village, Ill.; Isolite, San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Sure-Lites Brand Cooper Lighting, Elk Grove Village, Ill.; Infinity Display Inc, Owings Mills, Md.; H.E. Williams Inc, Carthage, Mo.; BEGA/US, Carpinteria, Calif.; Metalux Brand Cooper Lighting, Americus, Ga.; Dayton Showcase Company, Dayton, Ohio; Prescolite Moldcast, San Leandro, Calif.; Visa Lighting Corp, Milwaukee; Lightolier, Fall River, Mass.; Lighting Services Inc., Stony Point, N.Y.; Foscarini, Italy; Lumark Lighting Brand Cooper Lighting, Vicksburg, Miss.; Hydrel, Sylmar, Calif.; McGraw-Edison Brand Cooper Lighting, Vicksburg, Miss.; Sentinel Diversified Industries Inc, E. Farmingdale, N.Y.