Ufa-Pavillon am Nollendorfplatz
A historically important former cinema in Berlin, regarded as the German capital’s first purpose-built free-standing cinema.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
The Ufa-Pavillon am Nollendorfplatz was a pioneering cinema at Nollendorfplatz 4 in Berlin’s Schöneberg district. Designed principally by architect Oskar Kaufmann, it was built in 1912–13 and opened in March 1913 as the Nollendorf-Theater. Unlike theatres adapted for film exhibition, the building was conceived specifically as a cinema and became one of the earliest major examples of a purpose-built, free-standing movie venue in Germany. Its architectural importance came from the combination of a compact urban building, technically innovative projection arrangements, and an unusually coordinated interior and exterior design. The project was associated with Cines-Theater AG, a Berlin subsidiary linked to the Italian film company Società Italiana Cines. American investors and theatrical entrepreneurs, including Joe Goldsoll, A. H. Woods, and Edward B. Kinsila, were involved in the venture. The cinema was intended to provide a prominent exhibition outlet for Cines films in Germany and formed part of a broader attempt by international film interests to control production, distribution, and cinema revenues. Contemporary speculation connected the financing to Banco di Roma investors, although the building’s precise financial origins remain complex and are not fully documented. Kaufmann’s design was supported by a group of prominent artists and craftspeople. Franz Metzner created the seated figure above the entrance and the exterior bas-reliefs. August Unger directed the interior decoration, while Gottfried Heinersdorff produced stained-glass elements from Unger’s designs. Georg Roch and Hermann Feuerhahn contributed ceiling lighting and figurative details. The result was an integrated architectural work in which structure, ornament, lighting, circulation, and cinematic technology were designed as parts of a single experience. The building was deliberately restrained compared with the highly decorative historicist and Jugendstil architecture common in Berlin at the time. Its largely windowless façade, modern sculptural treatment, and sober geometric massing anticipated later modern architectural tendencies. The auditorium held approximately 650 people, with seating arranged in stalls, a circle, and boxes. Contemporary descriptions emphasized its ivory, grey, and lilac palette, plush carpeting, curved balcony, distinctive lighting, and atmosphere of controlled elegance. Ticket prices were reported at between one and three marks at the time of opening. The cinema also incorporated technical features unusual for its period, including an opening roof and a daylight projection screen. It was used not only for ordinary film exhibition but also appears to have been particularly important for press screenings. Although it was prestigious, it was smaller than the nearby Ufa-Palast am Zoo, which became Berlin’s leading large-scale cinema venue. The venue changed names and corporate affiliations several times. It became the Cines Nollendorf-Theater in 1914. Cines AG’s Berlin operation collapsed in late 1915 after financial difficulties affecting Banco di Roma, and the building was acquired by the Union-Theater Lichtspiele chain, associated with Paul Davidson’s PAGU company. It remained known as the Union-Theater Nollendorfplatz until 1923. After PAGU was consolidated into Universum-Film AG in 1917, the cinema was renamed Ufa-Theater Nollendorfplatz in 1924 and Ufa-Pavillon in 1927. The building was severely damaged during a Royal Air Force bombing raid in late 1943, during the Second World War. It was not rebuilt, and the cinema consequently survives as a historical subject rather than an operating venue. Its significance lies in the convergence of early cinema-business organization, international film distribution, modern theatre planning, and German architectural design. It is frequently treated as one of the key early cinema buildings in Berlin and as an important step toward the modern film palace.
History
The Ufa-Pavillon originated in the expansion of early twentieth-century film exhibition and the effort by international film companies to secure profitable outlets for their productions. Società Italiana Cines, based in Rome, developed international distribution relationships and became connected with a group of American investors and theatrical entrepreneurs seeking greater control over cinema exhibition in continental Europe. In Germany, these interests were organized through Cines-Theater AG, a Berlin-based company linked to Cines and associated with Joe Goldsoll, A. H. Woods, and Edward B. Kinsila. Construction at Nollendorfplatz began in 1912. The building was designed by Oskar Kaufmann, an architect whose work helped introduce new approaches to theatre and cinema design in Berlin. Rather than adapting an existing theatre, the project created a free-standing building devoted to film. This distinction was important at a time when many films were shown in converted shops, halls, or stage theatres. Kaufmann’s design used a compact, largely windowless exterior and a restrained architectural language that stood between late historicism and the emerging modern movement. The project treated the cinema as a Gesamtkunstwerk, combining architecture, sculpture, stained glass, interior decoration, lighting, seating, and circulation. Franz Metzner supplied the sculpture above the entrance and the exterior frieze. August Unger was responsible for the interior scheme, with stained glass by Gottfried Heinersdorff and lighting elements associated with Georg Roch and Hermann Feuerhahn. The auditorium contained around 650 places and was arranged with stalls, a circle, and boxes. Contemporary observers highlighted its muted ivory, grey, and lilac surfaces, curved balcony, plush floor covering, and elaborate but controlled lighting. Technically, the cinema was unusually forward-looking. Its reported features included an opening roof and a daylight projection screen, while the projection layout was designed to provide a substantial throw across the auditorium. The building was also associated with press presentations, giving it a role in the professional circulation and promotion of films as well as public entertainment. Its scale was more intimate than that of the Ufa-Palast am Zoo, but its architectural ambition made it one of Berlin’s most discussed early cinemas. The venue opened in March 1913 as the Nollendorf-Theater. In 1914 it became the Cines Nollendorf-Theater, emphasizing its corporate and programming connection to Cines. That relationship was short-lived. Cines AG’s Berlin operation collapsed late in 1915 amid financial problems involving Banco di Roma, an important source of capital in the wider Cines network. The cinema subsequently passed to Union-Theater Lichtspiele, part of the exhibition interests connected with Paul Davidson’s PAGU company. Although PAGU was consolidated into Universum-Film AG, or Ufa, in 1917, the building continued to use the Union-Theater Nollendorfplatz name until 1923. It was renamed Ufa-Theater Nollendorfplatz in 1924 and Ufa-Pavillon in 1927. During the interwar period, the venue formed part of Berlin’s expanding cinema culture, while its building remained an example of the transition from ornate theatrical architecture toward a more sober modern design language. The cinema’s operational life ended during the Second World War. A Royal Air Force bombing raid in late 1943 badly damaged the structure, and it was never rebuilt. The loss removed one of Berlin’s most significant early purpose-built film buildings, but architectural histories continue to discuss it as a landmark in the development of cinema architecture. Its importance rests on several overlapping themes: the international organization of early film businesses, the emergence of cinema as a distinct building type, Kaufmann’s contribution to modern Berlin architecture, and the attempt to make film exhibition an integrated artistic and technological experience.
- 1943
Building destroyed in wartime damage
[1]A bombing raid causes severe damage, after which the cinema is not rebuilt.
- 1927
Ufa-Pavillon name adopted
[1]The cinema is renamed Ufa-Pavillon, its best-known historical designation.
- 1924
Ufa-Theater Nollendorfplatz name adopted
[1]The venue changes its name from Union-Theater Nollendorfplatz to Ufa-Theater Nollendorfplatz.
- 1917
PAGU consolidated into Ufa
[1]PAGU, the corporate group associated with the venue’s Union-Theater ownership, is consolidated into Universum-Film AG.
- 1915
Transfer to Union-Theater Lichtspiele
[1]Following the collapse of the Berlin Cines operation, the cinema is acquired by the Union-Theater Lichtspiele chain.
- 1914
Cines Nollendorf-Theater name adopted
[1]The venue is renamed to reflect its connection with Cines and Cines-Theater AG.
- 1913
Nollendorf-Theater opens
[1]The cinema opens in March as the Nollendorf-Theater, designed by Oskar Kaufmann and seating approximately 650 people.
- 1912
Construction begins
[1]Construction of the purpose-built cinema at Nollendorfplatz begins under the direction of the Cines-linked German venture.
Products and positioning
An architecturally ambitious early cinema positioned as a prestigious, technically progressive film venue and exhibition outlet for Cines and later Ufa-related programming.
Film exhibition · 1913
Cinema screenings
The venue’s principal service was the public exhibition of motion pictures in a purpose-built auditorium. Its seating plan included stalls, a circle, and boxes, while the building’s projection arrangement and controlled lighting were designed specifically for cinematic presentation rather than stage performance.
Film-industry exhibition
Press screenings
The Ufa-Pavillon appears to have served as an important venue for press presentations and professional screenings. This role complemented its public program and linked the cinema to the promotion, review, and distribution of films in Berlin’s early film industry.
Brand decisions
1924
Adopt Ufa-Theater brandingStrategyBackground
The cinema was operating within the exhibition structure associated with the companies consolidated into Ufa.
Action taken
The venue was renamed Ufa-Theater Nollendorfplatz.
Aftermath
The Ufa-Pavillon name followed in 1927 and became the building’s enduring historical identity.
1914
Rebrand as Cines Nollendorf-TheaterStrategyBackground
The venue was part of a Cines-linked effort to connect film production, distribution, and exhibition in the German market.
Action taken
The original Nollendorf-Theater name was changed to Cines Nollendorf-Theater.
Aftermath
The Cines affiliation ended after the Berlin subsidiary collapsed in late 1915, and the venue moved into the Union-Theater network.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/ufa-pavillon-am-nollendorfplatz · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled