Prague’s iconic Bio Oko cinema will undergo a comprehensive renovation in spring 2025, marking its first major update in more than a decade. The work, expected to begin next spring and last around six months, will cover upgrades to the main hall, projection room, lobby, and bathrooms. The cinema will close during this period, but its popular café will remain open.
The renovations aim to modernize the space while preserving Bio Oko‘s distinctive atmosphere. New features will include comfortable seating, enhanced acoustics, stage lighting, and a new projection screen and curtain. In addition, the lobby will receive updated lighting, a new wheelchair-accessible platform will be installed, and the lower foyer and restrooms will be refurbished.
“Bio Oko has always been a staple of the cultural scene in Prague 7,” Prague 7 Mayor Jan Čižinský states through a press release. “Throughout its more than eighty-year history, it has undergone many changes, but it has always maintained its unique spirit, which enables it to still compete with modern multiplexes. The renovated, yet still familiar Bio Oko will be a belated gift to celebrate Prague 7’s 140th anniversary this year.”
Bio Oko was originally constructed in 1940 as a functionalist cinema by architects Josef Šolc and Jaroslav Stockar-Bernkopf. The cinema’s unique layout includes a balcony that has been preserved through the decades, though the overall seating capacity has been significantly reduced from around 800 to 280. The new renovations will carefully balance historical preservation with contemporary upgrades.
“Everyone who has ever visited Bio Oko knows that it is different from other cinemas in Prague,” adds Hana Třeštíková, Deputy Mayor of Prague 7 for Culture, Sports, and Community Relations. “It’s not an impersonal film factory, but rather a community space that’s lively all day long.”
“From morning cartoons for the youngest audience to films for the older generation, thematic programs, live broadcasts, screenings with discussions and workshops, and evening premieres with a coffee break afterward—it’s a unique experience. We believe that the planned renovation will contribute to even more enjoyable experiences for all our visitors.”
Planned renovation work on Bio Oko includes more comfortable seating, high-quality sound, acoustic elements, stage lighting, a new projection screen and curtain, modernized lobby lighting, a new wheelchair platform, and renovated lower foyer and restrooms.
Current seating in Bio Oko‘s ground floor include beach chairs, loungers, and other unusual items conceived by designer Maxim Velčovský that even included a Tatra automobile in years past. But new chairs will be a big improvement over the cinema’s classic seats, which have long been in need of an upgrade.
“This September, we are celebrating 15 years as the operators of Bio Oko,” cinema director Prokop Jeníček from Aerofilms adds. “The renovation of the hall and lobby will be a nice gift for us and, most importantly, for our audience on this anniversary. After reopening, we will continue to strive to provide everyone with the best cinema experience, and the renovation will significantly contribute to this effort.”
One Response
When exactly they will be closing?