Rio Cinema, Art Deco movie theater in Dalston, England
Rio Cinema is an Art Deco movie theater in Dalston, in the London Borough of Hackney, housed in a Grade II listed building with two screening rooms. The interior features blue-grey and warm brown decorative elements that stay true to the original architectural style.
The building opened in 1909 as Kingsland Palace and was later renamed Kingsland Empire in 1915. It took the name Rio Cinema in 1976, after operating under different names for several decades.
The Rio shows independent films and international productions that draw audiences looking for something beyond the mainstream. The programming reflects the mix of people who live in Dalston and who fill the seats on a regular basis.
The cinema sits on Kingsland High Street and is easy to reach by bus from several routes that stop nearby. The building has step-free access, gender-neutral restrooms, and drinking fountains for visitors.
During World War II the building's basement served as an air raid shelter for the local neighborhood. When it was converted into a second screening room in 2017, it kept a new kind of sheltering role, this time for film lovers.
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