Kino-Palatsi

Kino-Palatsi was a landmark cinema located at Pohjoisesplanadi 39 in Helsinki, Finland, on the corner of Keskuskatu. Operating from 1911 to 1965, it was a 786-seat Art Nouveau theatre designed by architect Valter Jung. Initially named Maxim, it was renamed Kino-Palatsi after Suomi-Filmi acquired it in 1919. The cinema served as Suomi-Filmi's premiere theatre and also hosted concerts and beauty pageants. Its distinctive features included a classical Greek-style interior with columns and ornate walls, and a vaulted entrance opening onto Keskuskatu. Despite its popularity, the theatre suffered from cramped lobby spaces relative to its large auditorium. In the 1960s, financial difficulties led to its closure; the lease expired in 1965 and the property was sold to Stockmann Oy. The building was demolished to make way for the Kirjatalo building of the Academic Bookstore, designed by Alvar Aalto. Today, a Finnkino cinema named Kinopalatsi operates on Kaisaniemenkatu in Helsinki, carrying on the name.

Kino-Palatsi was a cinema in Helsinki, Finland, located at Pohjoisesplanadi 39 on the corner of Keskuskatu. It operated from 1911 to 1965 and had 786 seats. The Art Nouveau building was designed by architect Valter Jung. Initially named Maxim, the theatre was renamed Kino-Palatsi when Suomi-Filmi bought it in 1919. It served as Suomi-Filmi's premiere theatre and also hosted concerts and beauty pageants. The theatre was spacious and popular, known for its classical Greek-style interior with columns and ornate walls. Its vaulted entrance on Keskuskatu was particularly famous; in summer 1965, sports divers formed a guard of honour there before a invited preview of Jacques Cousteau's film The Silent World. However, the theatre suffered from cramped lobby spaces relative to the auditorium size from the beginning. In the 1960s, the owner faced financial difficulties and could no longer maintain the popular theatre. When the lease expired in 1965, the property was sold to Stockmann Oy. Architect Alvar Aalto designed new functions for the site, most importantly the Academic Bookstore. In 1928, Suomi-Filmi commissioned architect Väinö Vähäkallio to design an office skyscraper on the same plot, intended to house Suomi-Filmi's headquarters, studios, and spacious lobby areas for Kino-Palatsi. Vähäkallio's first proposal was a 68-metre-tall building with 17 above-ground and one underground floor, inspired by the 40-storey Paramount skyscraper in New York and the twin towers on Kungsgatan in Stockholm. However, the Helsinki city finance committee recommended rejecting the building permit application in April 1928 and again a year later. Many architects were critical, but newspapers viewed the project more favourably. In 1930, a new plan reduced the building to 11 storeys, and the Helsinki real estate board supported it in 1931 with reservations. By then, Suomi-Filmi's financial situation had weakened due to the depression, and the project was abandoned. Suomi-Filmi had to sell the Esplanadi-side part of the Kino-Palatsi corner plot to Suomen Käsityöläis-Osakepankki in autumn 1931, and in April 1932 the remaining Kino-Palatsi shares were sold to Kreuger & Toll. CEO Erkki Karu, who had strongly pushed the skyscraper project, resigned from the company in 1933. Of Helsinki's late-1920s skyscraper projects, only the 14-storey, 68-metre-tall Hotel Torni was realised. Stockmann bought the Kino-Palatsi plot in 1963, and both the theatre building in the middle of the block and the bank building on the street were demolished in 1965 after the lease ended. The last film shown several times at Kino-Palatsi was Murder on the Orient Express, based on Agatha Christie's story. At the farewell screening on 1 April 1965, Risto Orko's Jääkärin morsian was shown, released from a screening ban for the occasion. The Kirjatalo building of the Academic Bookstore, designed by Alvar Aalto, was completed in 1967–1969 on the site. The Academic Bookstore's light courtyard is located where Kino-Palatsi's auditorium once stood. The demolition of Kino-Palatsi is depicted in Risto Jarva's 1965 film Onnenpeli, in which the main character, magazine journalist Jussi, prepares an article on Helsinki city planning. Today, a Finnkino cinema named Kinopalatsi operates on Kaisaniemenkatu in Helsinki.

• 1967

  Construction of the Academic Bookstore's Kirjatalo begins on the site.

• 1965

  Kino-Palatsi closes; building demolished after lease expires.

• 1963

  Stockmann buys the Kino-Palatsi plot.

• 1932

  Remaining Kino-Palatsi shares sold to Kreuger & Toll.

• 1931

  Suomi-Filmi sells part of the Kino-Palatsi corner plot to Suomen Käsityöläis-Osakepankki.

• 1928

  Suomi-Filmi commissions architect Väinö Vähäkallio to design a skyscraper on the same plot.

• 1919

  Suomi-Filmi acquires the theatre and renames it Kino-Palatsi.

• 1911

  Kino-Palatsi opens as Maxim cinema in Helsinki.

Premiere cinema and cultural venue in central Helsinki

Product categories. Cinema screenings · Concerts · Beauty pageants

1. 1Kino-Palatsi - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Kino-Palatsi - Finnish Wikipediafi.wikipedia.org
3. 3Finnkino Kinopalatsi Helsinkifinnkino.fi