Rexkl, Arts centre and event venue in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

REXKL is an arts centre and event venue in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, occupying the former Rex Cinema on Jalan Sultan. The building now holds a food hall, a bookstore, retail spaces, and an exhibition gallery, with much of the original brickwork and cinema layout still in place.

The original Rex Cinema opened in 1947 and was one of the first theatres in the country. After a fire in 1972, it was rebuilt as a single-screen cinema with over a thousand seats, and it later served as a hostel and karaoke spot before closing in 2002. A group of creative entrepreneurs reopened it as REXKL in 2019.

The food hall is arranged around a central open area, with small stalls run by emerging cooks and bakers, and the name Food Fiction plays on the idea of stories told through food. On weekends, the upper floors often host workshops, film screenings, and pop-up markets that draw a mix of locals and visitors.

The entrance sits on Jalan Sultan, a short walk from Petaling Street, and the different levels are connected by stairs, so plan your visit with that in mind. Weekday afternoons tend to be quieter, while evenings and weekends bring more people to the food hall and events.

The bookstore on the upper level occupies the old VIP tiered seating area of the cinema, and its shelves are arranged in a maze-like pattern that echoes the alleys nearby. Look closely at the walls and you can still spot traces of the original cinema finishes beneath the new surfaces.