On September 6, the LUXE Hall 1 at Shanghai Daguangming Cinema officially opened. This marks the 15th LUXE cinema hall by RealD in Shanghai. From September 6 to September 8, a film exhibition featuring the works of Japanese master Hiroshi Kurosawa will be showcased first in the LUXE hall.

LUXE Hall 1 at Shanghai Daguangming Cinema

Daguangming Cinema, designed by Hungarian architect Ödön Lechner, was founded in 1928 and has a history of nearly a century. It was personally inaugurated by the Peking opera master Mei Lanfang and is famously known as the "First Cinema of the Far East." It is also the "palace of cinema" described as “fantastic and clean” by author Eileen Chang. Over the past century, it has undergone numerous transformations—from silent films to sound, black and white to color, and from 2D to 3D. Situated on Nanjing West Road in downtown Shanghai, this cinema has quietly witnessed the historical progression of Chinese cinema over the last hundred years.

Today, LUXE Hall 1 at Daguangming Cinema has once again undergone a significant overhaul since 2009: it now features two levels with a total of 1,365 seats, making it the largest single-screen cinema hall in Shanghai. LUXE Hall is officially upgraded to a LUXE cinema hall.

Outside Daguangming Cinema during the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival in June

LUXE: A RealD Experience, abbreviated as LUXE, is RealD's premium cinema giant screen brand. The RealD 3D® system, which boasts double the light output, along with the RealD Ultimate Screen® featuring a reflection rate of 92%, enhances the image detail, brightness, and uniformity. This allows for optimal visual presentation without the need for special versions. The LUXE hall sets a high brightness standard in the industry: 3D brightness is set at 12FL, and 2D brightness at 20FL.

LUXE Hall signage

At LUXE Hall 1 of Shanghai Daguangming Cinema, several upgrades have been made: first, the installation of the RealD 3D® system and the RealD Ultimate Screen®; second, an upgrade of the laser projector; third, an enhancement of the surround sound system; and fourth, the incorporation of the RealD quality monitoring management system®.

This upgrade process represented one of the most challenging endeavors for the RealD LUXE team in establishing a LUXE hall. To ensure that every viewer in the thousand-seat cinema experiences consistent brightness, RealD LUXE custom-designed a high-uniformity RealD Ultimate Screen® specifically for the hall. The comparison of the “egg yolk zone”—the area of high brightness—clearly shows that the measured "egg yolk zone" is wider than that of the current RealD Ultimate Screen and is also double the size of a regular silver screen, claiming to be the best in uniformity on the market.

High brightness area displayed by Daguangming RealD Screen measurement

The yellow area in the middle denotes the high brightness zone of a standard silver screen

Additionally, as ceiling-mounted speakers couldn't be installed and the walls were unsuitable for weight-bearing during the sound system upgrade, the design for enhancing surround sound effects required multiple revisions and tests to meet the LUXE hall's audio standards.

Lastly, being a key historical protection building in Shanghai, engineering methods to protect the historic structure presented significant challenges. To avoid damaging the original screen mount, engineers had to redesign and enhance new structures according to the actual conditions of the hall, reinforcing the old mount while ensuring the optimal installation of the ultimate screen. Overall, the engineering time took two to three times longer than usual.

Finally, to blend with Daguangming Cinema's Art Deco architectural style and pay tribute to the historical design, the LUXE brand logo has been incorporated and redesigned in multiple locations throughout the cinema. For instance, the color of the front hall sign was changed from orange to a gold hue consistent with the cinema's decor, aligning its materials with the original metallic signage. In the directional signage throughout the cinema, the LUXE font has been adjusted to reflect the detailed design of Ödön Lechner’s Art Deco style, striving to retain the original character of the cinema as much as possible.

Lobby directional sign

After the renovation, patrons can immerse themselves in the “palace of cinema,” reminiscent of “a yellow glass cup magnified a million times” with golden decorative ceilings that evoke historical memories. They can also “immerse” themselves in a world of light and shadow brought by cutting-edge film technology, achieving a fantastic fusion of historical charm and future technology.

“Shanghai Daguangming Cinema was the first cinema in the Far East to use sound projectors. Years later, RealD is honored to bring enhancements in technology and equipment back to this cinema. This hall has experienced transitions from silent to sound, black and white to color, and from 2D to RealD 3D, witnessing the evolution of film technology, and we share in that pride. Daguangming Cinema has always been beloved by film enthusiasts in Shanghai, and we are excited to bring a better viewing experience for the passionate film lovers out there. In the future, we look forward to providing more immersive cinematic experiences for even more fans,” stated Chen Yongwen, Vice President and General Manager of RealD Asia Pacific.

From September 6 to September 8, the Hiroshi Kurosawa film exhibition will be screened at Shanghai Daguangming Cinema. Eight masterful films including “Shoplifters,” “After the Storm,” “March Comes in Like a Lion,” “Distance,” “The Next Generation,” “Deeper Than the Sea,” “Nobody Knows,” and “Our Little Sister” will premiere in the LUXE hall for audiences.

Poster for the Hiroshi Kurosawa Film Exhibition