National Public Radio and Variety are confirming the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, California, is scheduled to reopen in 2028. This is a major win for Mid-Century architecture as the theater has been closed since Pacific Theatre went bankrupt in 2021 and its future was uncertain.
The Cinerama Dome concept was part of an effort by filmmakers to combat the impact television was having on ticket sales in the 1950s/1960s. Its 316 interlocking concrete panels were designed to reduce theater construction costs and provide viewers with an 86 ft. wide curved screen with a 2.69:1 aspect ratio, enabling the viewing of films produced in Cinerama, Superpanavision 70, and similar ultra wide screen formats. It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World premiered at Cinerama Dome in 1963. You can read more about the process at this older but quite informative website.
The Cinerama Dome was designed by the noted Los Angeles architectural firm of Welton Becket Associates. The Pacific CINERAMA Theatre was recognized as a Historic-Cultural Landmark by the City of Los Angeles on December 18, 1998.
A fantastic collection of exterior and interior images dating to 1963 can be found at Los Angeles Theatres.
Additional Information at – LA Conservancy