Filmkoepel, Haarlem

In the renovated cinema Filmkoepel in Haarlem, Marissa Evers realized the artwork DB-AA-23 level 5, A New Hope, inspired by a scene from Star Wars.
Artist
Marissa Evers
Client
Filmkoepel
Photographer
Hans Vissers
Location
Haarlem, The Netherlands
ReFelt pet felt art - Filmkoepel Haarlem The Netherlands 23

Spaceship

“My first association with the dome is that of a spaceship,” says Marissa. “When you enter the building, you stand in that huge courtyard and you can’t help but look up at the monumental sky vault of the roof.”

The distinctive shape of the dome was a great source of inspiration for Marissa: “You can see this space without beginning or end, which deprived the prisoners of their sense of orientation, as a kind of Mothership, and evokes associations with space films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick and Interstellar by Christopher Nolan.”

ReFelt pet felt art - Filmkoepel Haarlem The Netherlands 19 hv
ReFelt pet felt art - Filmkoepel Haarlem The Netherlands 34 hv

The choice fell on Star Wars IV, A New Hope by George Lucas. A still from this film that inspired the design shows the hexagonal and seemingly endless corridor in the Death Star where Princess Leia is being held captive.

Acoustic challenge

Due to the complex architecture of the building, acoustics were not optimal for the new function of a cinema. That is why the artwork also serves sound-dampening purposes, and that is why the work is so large, 11.11 meters wide and 2.44 meters high.

Marissa: “I wanted to make a relief from acoustic material, but I had no experience with it yet. After some research, I ended up at ReFelt.”

ReFelt pet felt art - Filmkoepel Haarlem The Netherlands 20 hv

Filmkoepel Haarlem

After years of renovation and new construction, the former prison is now fully in use. In addition to the cinema, other businesses and a school are located in the Koepel. Residential properties have also been developed on the site.

Marissa sees a connection with the original function of the former prison from 1899-1901. “Just like in a spaceship, inmates and jailers live in a closed biotope. As long as you’re inside, this closed world is all there is. In a way, the same applies to a cinema: as soon as you step into the hall, you shut down from reality and you enter the world of the imagination.”

In this project

ReFelt PET Felt Acoustic Panel Dark Blue

view specifications

Acoustic PET Felt Panels