The newly-modernised building at Plac Wolności 6 pays homage to its history as the site of Kinoteatr Słońce - the largest, most modern cinema in Poznań in the interwar period - through a number of murals and other elements of design. Opened in 1927, Kinoteatr Słońce boasted more seats than the Grand Theatre, and even had its own power plant to ensure the lights, as well as the heating or air conditioning - highly modern features at the time - stayed on. Sadly the building, which was located on a large plot behind a department store, was completely destroyed during the 1945 Battle of Poznań.
Although the building was obliterated, the projectors from Kino Słońce were saved and operated at the Apollo Cinema until the 1970s!
Today the entire plot has been reconstructed and filled with rental apartments, however traces of its history remain. The facade features a marquee-style sign with the building's address, and the walkway leading into the courtyard is designed to look like a film reel. Art referring to film stars lines the pathway, while inside - each floor features a large mural that incorporates Poznań landmarks into famous films like King Kong and Jaws (ask reception if you want to see them, they are quite clever).
Kong runs rampant at the Poznań Fairgrounds! Art inside the apartment building at Plac Wolności 6.
Several murals around the exterior pay homage to Kino Słońce, while another remembers the Kalinowskis - a film-loving couple who lived nearby. Famed throughout Poznań, the Kalinowskis attended, and recorded in their journals, over 15,000 films in Poznań's cinemas from the 1970s to 2010s.
In 2010 alone, the Kalinowskis attended 563 films in Poznań's cinemas!
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