Eduardo Calvet
One of the most important cinema exhibitors in history was the Loew’s, whose comfort and
architectural features were among the best in the world so far. ‘Cine Metro’ was the first movie
palace in Brazil by Loew’s, inaugurated in 1936. Its comfort and convenience determine the
moment when the ‘Cinelândia’ region of Rio de Janeiro was one of the Brazilian’s most
important moviegoing centers. However, almost a century after its inauguration, the remaining
spaces from the previous period are very scarce, erasing the city’s cultural, architectural and
social heritage. This paper highlights the applicability of technical practices of virtual heritage
as a methodology for the development of immersive experience and expansion of film
exhibition cultural preservation. The historical aspects of ‘Cine Metro’ – such as the marquee
and visual signs, art deco architecture, elaborate interior decoration, projection booth and seat
model – will be pointed out to help us understand the importance of recreating it in a virtual
reality experience. Finally, this work describes all the steps made towards the Cine Metro’s VR
digital recreation, with the intention of making the viewers feel as if they were present at the
palace’s opening night.
