The storied French cinema, Le Grand Rex, recently refurbished its space in Paris to create a striking 296-seat screen featuring Christie laser projection, Dolby Atmos sound, a RealD Ultimate screen, luxury reclining leather seats, and two kilometers of customizable LED lighting throughout, creating a captivating, immersive experience, paired with exceptional cinematic performance.
CineDigital provided the projector to Cinemeccanica France, who carried out the technical studies, sale, and installation of the projection equipment for the new 9.5-meter-wide (31-foot) screen at Le Grand Rex, widely regarded as the most famous cinema in Paris.
“We wanted to create something special, with no expense spared. I wanted people to say ‘wow’ when going in,” says Alexandre Hellmann, deputy general manager, Le Grand Rex, recipient of the 2024 CinemaCon Award of Excellence in Cinema. “My father built the room 50 years ago, and it was time to upgrade. The room has unusually low, angled ceilings, which created a challenge for us, and the Christie CP2415-RGB pure laser projector was the only model that would fit into the space. With its low lens position, the projector was able to project without hitting any part of the ceiling.”
With the projector now housed in an enclosure in the ceiling, the former projection room at the back of the screen has been replaced by a stylish bar area, allowing guests to purchase refreshments without having to leave the new atmospheric space. ABP was the architect responsible for the redesign of the Infinite room, which is located underneath Le Grand Rex’s Le Grand Large auditorium. The customizable LED lighting system allows the cinema to color-match the film being screened. Brown was chosen as the color for the seats and the walls to absorb optimum light and further enhance the lighting effect. Le Grand Rex now offers seven screens throughout its chic Art Deco building, which first opened its doors in 1932.
“Our customers have been very happy,” adds Hellman. “You don’t necessarily need to have a 25-meter (82 foot) screen to please people. You need to have a great room that people enjoy being in, comfortable seating, and excellent projection and sound, and people are happy.”
“We’re delighted that Le Grand Rex chose to integrate Christie into its beautiful Infinite room. The Christie CP2415-RGB will deliver outstanding visual performance to nicely align with the interior LEDs and other impressive features to deliver an outstanding experience to customers,” says Adil Zerouali, senior director of sales, EMEA Cinema, at Christie. “Le Grand Rex has created a unique space, and I’m sure its customers will be thrilled by what they see."