Greendale Cinemas

The Greendale Cinema is a ten screen, first run movie theater in the Lawrenceburg, Indiana area, located just off I-275 and US 50.

Desiring a cost-effective and durable facility, the owner of this cinema project selected Tilt-Up because the method allows for intricate architectural features, the panels could be erected quickly and efficiently, and the life-cycle costs were low.

The layout of the horizontal-spanning, movie-reel themed main entry panels was very intricate. Close coordination with the architect and the panel erector was necessary due to the detailed architectural requirements and the massive size of the panels. The large lateral loads necessitated the use of a vertical strong back column that was integrated with the interior design.

The intricate panel layout included recessed film strip panels along the front elevation of the building in addition to the complicated rustication pattern on all elevations. At visible corners along the front façade, mitered panel joints were incorporated to minimize the number of visible joints.

Large door openings in each of the three skewed main entry Tilt-Up panels required heavily-reinforced narrow columns on both sides of each door and the tops of these panels were braced by the low roof framing that continued beyond the envelope of the building out to a large semicircular canopy.

Since this project is located on a fly-ash disposal site from a nearby power plant, careful consideration of the geotechnical requirements was required by the project team, including strict requirements for soil settlement prior to the commencement of any construction activities and the careful installation of foundations to minimize the chance of large settlements. Some panels were stack-cast because of the limited size of the building footprint.

Architectural treatments included a 35-foot-tall movie reel around the main entry that is visible from the nearby highway and a horizontal ribbons depicting an actual movie film spanning across the front of the building. The bright and distinctive gold and maroon with gray accents color scheme attracts attention. The front elevation of the movie theater includes the top half of the 70-foot diameter movie reel, including four windows in the movie reel. The panel spans 48 feet horizontally.

The front entry doors are recessed within the envelope of the building using diagonal offset panels. Each side of the main entry is flanked by two 4-foot-wide by 2-foot-deep faux columns that extend above the main entry. These columns are three-sided Tilt-Up columns that are laterally braced to the adjacent Tilt-Up panels.

The cinema’s revenue for the first three months of operation has exceeded budget projections and the facility has garnered tremendous praise from the local community.