Kino Metro 70 Cinema

Welcome to Prostějov. You are standing in front of the building of the Metro Theater seventy, which is the real one not only in this city, but in the whole country. When you look at it now, you see a structure in front of you that tells the story of a very specific time. It's a place where the love of film meets the brave architecture of the second half of the last century. Stop for a moment and perceive the atmosphere of this place, which, even after decades, still attracts viewers with its unusual face.

Now let's move back a few decades in time. This building was created in the late 1960s, at a time when new paths were sought in architecture and experimented with spaces. The author of this project was architect Zdeněk Michal. The whole planning and construction process culminated in November of the year in a thousand nine hundred seventy, when the cinema was opened to the public. At that time it was a modern culture centre that was supposed to bring the inhabitants of Prostějova the latest images and experiences of white canvas in the environment that was ahead of its time.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself. The building is designed in the so-called Brussels style, which was the direction that emphasized lightness, elegant lines and modern elements. If you look at the overall composition, you'll notice that the building has a rectangular plan. But that's just the first layer. The real secret is inside. The architect created a fascinating spatial solution here. The heart of the building is the inner circular courtyard, i.e. atrium, and naturally the auditorium itself is connected to it for spectators, which is also circular. It's a very unusual distribution that creates harmony between the entrance areas and the place where movies are projected.

If you can see deeper, focus on one of the most fascinating details of the whole building. The inner circular atrium contains a grassy ball canopy. Imagine that this green element is also the ceiling for the projection room below. It is a brilliant link between nature and concrete, which, at the time of the cinema, was the pinnacle of modern thinking. You will find such a solution very few places and it is this element from the Metro Theatre seventy makes a real architectural jewel.

This place is also associated with the names of the personalities who helped it to maintain its meaning and functionality over the years, such as Barbora Kucsa Prágerová. It is important to realize that this cinema is not just a relic of the past, but a living organism that is constantly evolving. There have also been significant changes in recent years. In the year two thousand nineteen cinema received financial support from the European cinema network, which allowed further development. A year later, in the year two thousand twenty, there was a great reversal and modernization of both visual and sound technology. The highlight of these improvements was the implementation of the state-of-the-art sound technology in the year two thousand twenty-three, which brings sound to space so that the viewer feels that it is in the center of the action. This makes this one-room cinema one of the most successful in the Czech Republic if we look at the number of visitors and the number of films shown.

And now I'm going to lead you to one real interesting thing that may not be visible at first sight, but it's absolutely fascinating. This building wasn't designed just for fun. At the time of their construction, architects had to take into account the political situation and safety of the people at the time. That's why the building combines the cinema function with the underground civil defense shelter. Imagine the contrast: at the top, people watch romantic stories or adventurous films, while in the basement there is a space for survival in case of crisis situations. The basement therefore serves as a ground for survival and protection of people. It's an unusual combination of culture and defense, which is typical of buildings from this era.

It is fascinating to think about how one building can turn from a symbol of the Cold War and civil protection into a place of joy, culture and modern technology. The Metro Theater stands as a monument to the courage to experiment with space while at the same time proving that quality architecture ages with grace.

Thank you for coming with me to this unique place. I hope you're interested in the architecture of Zdeněk Michal and that you could imagine the extraordinary circular hall with its green canopy. Now all you have to do is leave room for your own observation. Take a look around, see the line of the building, and perhaps in the future, visit the hall itself to feel the power of modern sound and image in this historic frame. I wish you a pleasant ongoing tour of Prostějova and a beautiful day.