The Kinepolis cinema is part of the ‘Schalkstad’ development in the city of Haarlem.
In developing the ‘Schalkstad’ master plan, the City of Haarlem is improving the overall quality and liveability of the existing district, including by revitalising the current shopping centre, adding a cinema, residential properties, eateries and shops, and by developing a city square/market square. This will give the district a vibrant, mixed-use city centre. Jo Coenen Architects & Urbanists (JCAU) is responsible for the master plan and supervision.

The cinema contains a total of around 900 seats, divided across six differently designed theatres.
There are retail outlets on the ground floor of the building’s ‘street plinth’, which are linked to the shopping centre.

The cinema’s design is strongly focused on the new market square. The arcades of the street and square facades are joined together at the main entrance in the corner of the building on the square. The corner facade above the entrance to the square is elevated, which contributes to the cinema building’s classic, landmark style.

To enhance the recognisability of the cinema typology and improve the urban design quality of this essentially closed building type, the facades are closed where necessary and as open as possible where the circumstances allow this. The cinema includes six screens/theatres, linked by the entrance, foyers and self-service facilities. These spaces between the theatres border the facades as much as possible and are fully equipped with glass fronts. The cinema’s dynamic, theatrical style is also visible from the outside (from the square and the street), adding to the overall vibrancy of the square.