The Southeast Asia Movie Theater Project: "The Architecture of Dreams" Part 2

"I've always loved movie theater architecture. Well, maybe not always, but at least since the early 80's. Since I bought "Architectures de Cinemas," by Francis Lacloche (Editions du Moniteur, 1981). In those days I was living in Paris, working in some architectural office, I saw many old cinemas closing down one after the other. I got myself some old 1960's movie programs and spent many weekends looking for these lost, closed-down-but-maybe-still-there cinemas anywhere I went. I was feeling like some kind of urban archaeologist, trying to find a forgotten Egyptian temple in a deserted suburban street.

Then came 1990, and for some reason I had the opportunity to quit my job, my flat and everything, and spend a long time travelling around the world. I came back 8 months later with a suitcase foll of sketch books, souvenirs and slides. Cinema slides, of course.

There are kinds of cinemas, but you can always recognize a movie theater anywhere in the world, even without any movie posters of the facade. Why? Because they all have something special. Something about adventures, love, fantasy. Something about dreams. It's the architecture of dreams."