(Re)discover our city: Cinéma Marivaux

1. (Re)discover our city

Think you know our capital well? Well, let's see about that! Some of the buildings that you walk past on a regular basis have a special story behind them. Dr Robert L. Philippart is a true expert on the subject and will guide you through the city to uncover these hidden stories, making you look at some of our symbolic buildings in a new way.

Cinema Marivaux (20 Rue Dicks)

The Marivaux cinema was built in 1927 by the architect Jean Warken. The screening room, which once housed a stage and an orchestra pit, could accommodate 700 spectators and had a live-in operator. The cinema opened in 1928. During the 1930s, children's and variety shows were put on in addition to the films being screened. The interior was designed by Belgian artist François Chambon, who was known for his metal, copper and steel furniture. In 1939, the architect Arthur Thill modernised the screening room, increasing its capacity to 750 and introducing air conditioning. The clean lines, fitted carpet and mixture of understated and golden decorations brought a particular elegance to the room. The cinema entrance was moved to the corner of Rue Zithe and Rue Dicks to make the establishment more visible. Western Electrics and Freudo helped to enhance the acoustics of the screening room. The artist Léon Nosbusch created the dancer-themed frieze above the stage. Depicted in motion, they were reminiscent of the animated images on the screen, while the dancer with the gong represented the sound that accompanied those images. These reliefs were purchased when the building was demolished in 2008. Three wall lights from the old cinema can now be found in the Brasserie Guillaume on Place Guillaume II. The cinema entrance was created by the French architect and designer Jean Prouvé. The front doors are now kept at the Féru des Sciences (formerly the Musée de l'histoire du fer – Iron History Museum) in Jarville-la-Malgrange just outside Nancy, France. The neon lighting inside and outside the building was provided by the Parisian company Claude Paz & Silva. Like so many shops and other cinemas, Marivaux portrayed a modern image of the capital. During the war, the cinema was known as Lichtspielhaus Metropol. Despite continually updating and adapting its listing, even this cinema saw a decline in audience numbers and was forced to close in 1992. Utopia S.A. then took over the business and made some technical improvements. Despite this intervention, the cinema closed for good in 1997. The screening room was leased by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. Having been added to Luxembourg's secondary list of protected monuments in 1987, the Marivaux cinema was removed in 1998. In 2008, the building was demolished and replaced by a mixture of doctor's surgeries, offices and housing.