The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline celebrated a historic moment this week with the unveiling of its new 14,000 square-foot wing.
The iconic theatre will officially open the wing to the general public on Thursday, March 27.
The massive wing features new theaters, a bigger lobby, and the first-ever Education and Community Engagement space for classes, private events and more. The space also extends to an outdoor roof deck that has views of Coolidge Corner.
Upon entering the lobby from the Coolidge’s new entrance across from the Centre Street parking lot, guests are greeted by two new concessions and bars that are combined. This means that guests can order food and drinks in one line. All tickets are also available for purchase indoors with most lines inside as well.
Guests can also sit in one of two new screening rooms, Moviehouse 5 and 6, which hold 145 and 53 seats, respectively. The screening rooms will continue showing 70mm films, for which the Coolidge is known.
“People should just be excited to come here and experience the new screening rooms that we have available for them because, I know I’m bias, but I think that they’re kind of instantly a couple of the best screening rooms in the Boston area,” Mark Anastasio, program director at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, told MassLive on Tuesday.
The new wing, inspired by the Coolidge’s original Art Deco style, was designed by award-winning architecture firm Höweler + Yoon. The new wing was designed to reflect the theatre’s original style that has been recognized by moviegoers since 1933.
“In a post-pandemic world where we seek to reconnect in person, the renewed Coolidge provides more spaces for meaningful collective experiences,” Höweler + Yoon Co-Founder J. Meejin Yoon said in a press release. “This expansion opens up opportunities for visitors of all backgrounds to engage in the power of cinema and culture.”
A new, 14,000 square-foot wing at Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline will officially open the public on Wednesday, March 27.Handout
The expansion involved roughly 15 years of planning, 10 years of fundraising, and two years of construction, Coolidge Corner Theatre wrote in an Instagram post.
The $14 million project was made possible by donations from more than 1,000 donors, including the Massachusetts Cultural Council that contributed upwards of $1 million to the Coolidge over several years.
“I am excited about what this means not only for the residents and the visitors, but also all the businesses that will be touched by this expansion,” Michael Bobbitt, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, said during the theatre’s ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday. “This will also allow Coolidge Corner to have many other partnerships and collaborations with organizations.”
Aside from more chances to catch a film, the new wing will help the Coolidge offer new programs such as more first-round screenings, while it continues such pre-existing programs as director spotlights, opera nights and more.
These programs boast community involvement that benefits citizens like Susan Park, who has lived in Brookline for nine years and is a member of the Brookline Asian-American Family Network.
The network is hosting an award ceremony for its “What It Means to Be Asian American” essay contest at the Coolidge on May 15.
“The Coolidge Corner Theatre is a staple in our town,” said Park, who is also running for the Brookline Select Board. “We’re so lucky to have it. My family and I come here all the time and the community does too.”
The Coolidge’s historic marquee and original theaters will stay the same as well. However, The Screening Room is now called Moviehouse 3 and the GoldScreen is now called Moviehouse 4.
The theatre also has a new elevators, restrooms on every flooring including six All-Gender, ADA-compliant restrooms. More information about these changes can be found here.
