About 15 months ago, back when the sky was first starting to fall for theaters everywhere due to the havoc that the COVID-19 pandemic was wreaking on the industry, Brookline’s Coolidge Corner Theatre closed its (physical) doors, opened up a virtual screening room, and vowed to emerge from this trying time better than ever, with a little help from the community. Their success or survival wasn’t guaranteed by any means, but with perseverance, hard work, and support, they made it through and re-opened their doors to the public back in mid-May. But the resumption of “normal” hasn’t stopped the Theatre from focusing on the future, and, on Wednesday (June 16), the Coolidge announced a gigantic expansion that will both reshape the theatre as the community knows it and provide resources for a new generation of Boston moviegoers.
Via a post on the theatre’s website, here’s the Coolidge’s own overview of what exactly the expansion will entail, and boy, is it ambitious:
“The new space will accommodate two new state-of-the-art theaters (with 149 seats and 57 seats, respectively); a 688 square foot Community Education and Engagement Center that will accommodate a 60-seat classroom space for our educational offerings, event space for theater and community gatherings and post-screening discussions, a catering kitchen and outdoor roof deck, a media library; a new entrance, lobby, and concessions area with improved accessibility. The box office and main theatre entrance will be relocated to Centre Street, and current common areas will be upgraded for improved accessibility. The addition turns the back of the theater into a new front, drawing in guests across the site. An articulated brick ‘curtain’ facade plays on the art deco motifs from the original 1933 building. Throughout the project, the selective use of lighting and color contributes to the spectacle of the theater-going experience.”
Good god, isn’t that incredible? For even more details and images, including some of the redesigned lobby and the brand-new classroom space, you can check out the Fund for the Coolidge website that the theatre has set up. All of the striking designs, including the exterior as seen in the featured image above, were created by renowned architectural firm Höweler + Yoon, who are local to Boston.
Even better, the Coolidge has already received most of the funding needed to begin development, and though they’re still a ways away from their goal, there are plenty of opportunities for folks to get involved. And, hey, if you’ve ever wanted to have a movie theater or a classroom named after you or a loved one, well, now’s your chance. We’re rooting for whoever decides to name Moviehouse 6 “Theatery McTheateryface,” because you clearly know how to spend your money wisely.
Construction on the Coolidge expansion will begin in July, though it shouldn’t impact any programming or its day-to-day operations, and the theatre expects it to be finished and open to the public by August 2022. These are exciting times, folks. See you at the movies!