Bio Central
Bio Central is a historic art-house cinema in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, known for first-rate and alternative film programming, festivals, and a popular bar.
Last updated September 28, 2026
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Overview
Bio Central is a cinema located in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, at Karla IV. 774. It is one of the city's leading cultural institutions, focusing on first-rate and art-house films as well as alternative content such as opera, theatre, and ballet screenings. The cinema also hosts major film festivals, documentary showcases, and projects by up-and-coming filmmakers. Its building is partially wheelchair accessible, with a wheelchair platform into the Big Hall and the Central Bar, accessible toilets, and an induction loop for hearing aids in the Big Hall. The cinema welcomes "non-barking" dogs into its bar and halls. The cinema operates two main screening halls: the Great Hall, with a capacity of 384 seats and 3 "beds," equipped with a SONY Cinealta SRX-R515P 4K projector and a 7.1 sound system; and the Small Hall, with 27 seats, a 7.1 sound system, and an Espedeo Supra-5000 projector. In summer, Bio Central runs a summer cinema in the Gayer Barracks next to the Bajkazyl café, mainly showing films from recent years that have not received much space in the classic halls. The cinema's technology was financed by the city of Hradec Králové and The Czech Film Fund. Bio Central is a cultural institution open to all regardless of sex, origin, skin colour, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion, and it does not tolerate expressions of hatred based on these characteristics. The director is Petr Vítek. The box office can be reached at +420 777 447 599, main contact at info@biocentral.cz, ticket cancellation at storno@biocentral.cz, and the Central Bar at bar@biocentral.cz or +420 778 474 599. The cinema's programming includes a mix of Czech and international films, often with English subtitles (marked ENG), senior screenings, film club events, and special events such as concerts in cinema. It also hosts festivals including Jeden svět, La Pelicula, the International Outdoor Film Festival, Days of European Film, and Cinema Open. The Academic Film Club of students of the University of Hradec Králové cooperates with the cinema.
History
The building that houses Bio Central was constructed between 1910 and 1911 as a tenement house by factory owner Karel Skuherský, owner of a furniture company of the same name, along with five other tenement buildings. The project was designed by Jindřich Labouťka. In the 1920s, Karel Skuherský began efforts to build a cinema in house No. 462. In 1928, the district organization of the Masaryk League Against Tuberculosis applied for cinematographic production, and a year later the cinema was built and began operating. The designer and builder was Ing. František Komárek from Svobodné Dvory, who designed and built a cinema with a capacity of 800 seats. The cinema had an oval shape, onto which a rectangular stage was attached. Staircases were built on the sides leading to the balcony and balconies around the rounded corners. A buffet and smoking room were built in the background. The building was covered with a metal roof. Komárek designed the facade of the main front as a combination of plastered and cut surfaces with a curved gable. Josef Heřman took care of the interior decoration. On 18 July 1929, Karel Skuherský applied for a sewer connection to the new cinema building. The cinema was ceremonially opened on 19 October 1929. The ceremonial speech was given by Dr. Josef Vanický, chief physician of the health institutes of the Masaryk League in Hradec Králové. In the 20th century, the proceeds from the cinema's operation were intended to finance the league's activities and partly "for the benefit of disability care." The first sound film, Child of Paris, was screened on 25 July 1930. In the orchestra pit there was space for musical ensembles. In the 1930s, the cinema became the center of several clashes between local fascists and socialists. On 1 January 1939, the cinema was renamed Bio Slavie. In the same year, the cinema was transferred in ownership to the Masaryk League Against Tuberculosis. In 1941, the cinema was renamed Kinematograf Victoria. In 1945, the cinema's owner Karel Skuherský Jr. was convicted of collaboration with the fascist organization Vlajka during the protectorate. In 1947, the cinema, renamed again to Bio Slavia, was included in the group of cinemas called "Čas," which screened extended reports from the ice hockey world championship in Prague. A year later, the cinema introduced the sale of Film News, for which it was praised in the newspaper. In 1966, the cinema was visited by over 281,000 people. In 1967 and 1968, the cinema became a festival center of the Film Festival of Workers in Hradec Králové (another festival venue was mainly Letní kino Mír). In 1968, the Municipal National Committee in Hradec Králové issued a project task for the reconstruction of the cinema in the amount of 3,800,000 Kčs. On 6 July 1970, the cinema was closed and reconstruction began, when the cinema was changed to a panoramic cinema, an extension to the staircases was made, and the courtyard was roofed, where a mosaic called Eye into the Whole World (also Sputnik) was added, created for the cinema by Bedřich Šimon. The marble for the lining of the foyer and courtyard was supplied by Českomoravský průmysl kamene, the fore-stage was made by workers of the national enterprise Montas, and the electrical installation was the responsibility of the national enterprise Stavomontáž. The screen was extended to a length of 15 meters and a width of six and a half meters. It thus became only the fourth 70mm cinema in the East Bohemian Region. The cinema was ceremonially reopened on 26 November 1971 with the Soviet film Čermenův slib. In the 1970s, the Film Club led by Miloš Votruba and the Club of Friends of Soviet Film were based here. Central (then Kino Jas) was the best-equipped cinema in Hradec Králové and often screened Western films. In the 1970s, the name Central began to be used again. The cinema was equipped with three Meopta UM 70/35 projectors, one Drezden slide projector (carbon arc), and a Tesla AKT 636 amplifier with an output of 6× 30 W. In the 21st century, from 2003 the Hradec Králové cinema Central was operated by the association Pro-Centrál. In 2009, the cinema was digitized. In 2011, a financial audit revealed a number of irregularities. Pro-Centrál had debts of up to 3.5 million crowns, which led to the resignation of deputy mayor and head of the association Leoš Kučera. In 2012, the cinema found itself under the administration of an insolvency administrator. During the administration, the cinema's 3D technology ended up in insolvency and was not restored under subsequent leadership. The cinema ceased operations in mid-July 2012. A petition to save the cinema was even founded, addressed to the city leadership, which collected over 2,800 signatures. Operations were resumed on 20 December 2012 under the leadership of the founder of Prague's Aero cinema, Petr Vítek, and the cinema was renamed to its original name Bio Central. In 2014, the city magistrate of Hradec Králové began a lawsuit with the insolvency administrator who rented technology to the cinema. The town hall offered to buy the technology from the insolvency administrator, but negotiations allegedly failed due to an unacceptably high price. In 2016, the city council decided to issue a contract for the acquisition of new technology. In 2017, the technology was purchased. For 2020, a reconstruction and digitization of the second hall, called Garsonka, was planned. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cinema got into financial difficulties and digitization was postponed. In 2020, the cinema also began operating a summer cinema in the Gayer Barracks. Finally, the newly digitized small hall in DCI standard was opened in 2021. In 2023, cinema employees Ilona Mach and Jan Slanina researched the origin of the mosaic Eye into the Whole World and the fate of its author Bedřich Šimon. The results of their work were revealed on 9 November 2023 at the exhibition Bedřich Šimon - Unknown Author in the cinema's café. In 2026, the documentary film Lion of the Salon had its premiere, mapping the project of the same name from the previous year for the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of the city of Hradec Králové.
- 2026
Documentary film Lion of the Salon premieres, mapping the project for the 800th anniversary of Hradec Králové.
- 2023
Employees research mosaic origin; exhibition Bedřich Šimon - Unknown Author opens on 9 November.
- 2021
Newly digitized small hall in DCI standard opened.
- 2020
Reconstruction and digitization of second hall (Garsonka) planned but postponed due to COVID-19; summer cinema in Gayer Barracks begins.
- 2017
New technology purchased.
- 2016
City council decides to issue contract for new technology.
- 2014
City magistrate begins lawsuit with insolvency administrator over technology rental.
- 2012
Cinema under insolvency administration; ceases operations mid-July; petition collects over 2,800 signatures; operations resume on 20 December under Petr Vítek and renamed Bio Central.
- 2011
Financial audit reveals irregularities; Pro-Centrál debts up to 3.5 million crowns; Leoš Kučera resigns.
- 2009
Cinema digitized.
Products and positioning
A leading art-house and first-run cinema in Hradec Králové, offering a mix of mainstream and alternative programming, festivals, and community events in a historic venue.
The Big Hall
Capacity of 384 seats and 3 "beds"; equipped with SONY Cinealta SRX-R515P 4K projector and 7.1 sound system.
The Small Hall
Capacity of 27 seats; equipped with 7.1 sound system and Espedeo Supra-5000 projector.
Summer cinema
Located in the Gayer Barracks next to the Bajkazyl café; mainly shows films from recent years.
Central Bar
Bar services; contact bar@biocentral.cz or +420 778 474 599.
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