Sydney’s IMAX cinema is preparing to re-open following a seven-year hiatus, coinciding with the competition of the Hassell-designed The Ribbon.

The Ribbon will house the new IMAX within the building, along with 585 rooms over 25 storeys which forms the Marriott’s new W Hotel. Event Cinemas will operate the theatre, with both mainstream film and educational documentaries to be screened.

The IMAX institution is synonymous with Darling Harbour, with the screen the largest of its kind, spanning 35.7 metres before it closed its doors. Opened in 1996, documentaries dominated much of the cinema’s screen time, with the theatre evolving to show a number of blockbuster films throughout its later years.

IMAX’s new screen will span 693 sqm and will feature a 4K laser projection system. Event Cinemas’ Director of Entertainment, Australia, Luke Mackey, says that construction has been delayed by the collapse of Grocon and Probuild, with Multiplex now handling the build.

“It’s been a challenging five or six years for lots of building companies,” he says in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

“We’re in great hands now and I’ve been to the site recently and it’s well advanced. Touching wood, it’s smooth sailing from here on in.”

The Ribbon forms part of the urban renewal of Darling Harbour, including Cockle Bay Wharf which includes a landbridge across the Western Distributor between Darling Harbour and Darling Park with two parks – one with more than 5,500 square metres and the other with over 1,000 square metres, as well as a new 43-level office tower with four publicly accessible podium levels, and 35 levels of commercial office space.

For more information, visit www.imax.com.au.

Architecture & Design Team

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