UCI Kinowelt Colosseum

Located in the northeast Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg. Originally built as a warehouse, noted cinema architect Fritz Wilms converted the building into the Colosseum Kino. It had a Greek Classical style façade, with a pediment over the Ionic-columned entrance. Inside the auditorium was in a Classical style. It opened on 9th December 1924 with Ossi Oswalda in “Colibri”. It had a seating capacity of 1,350, all on one level and space for 30 musicians in the orchestra pit.

The Colosseum Kino was re-modelled in 1930 when the Ufa chain took control of the cinema, and they employed an architect named Teschenmacher to give the building a modern Art Deco style appearance both inside and out.

After World War II it served temporarily as a stage theatre from 1945 until 1957. In 1957 it reopened as the GDR’s premiere cinema in East Berlin. Operated by Defa Films, they employed architect F. Wildner and A. Lemke to modernise the cinema. It now had a dark ceiling in the auditorium, with twinkling lights representing stars.

In the mid-1990’s, when CinemaxX took control, they redeveloped a former tram shed at the rear (originally built in 1894) and created a 9-screen multiplex on a newly constructed 1st floor level. The original ground floor of the tramshed serves as the foyer, and to retain some history of the building has tramlines painted on the floor. The main 536-seat Kino 1 still keeps the original size of the former Colosseum Kino.

The cinema is operated as part of the UCI Kinowelt circuit. In 2019 plans were proposed to demolish and build offices on the site. It was closed in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. It was announced in June 2020 that it would remain closed and the plans for demolition would go ahead. However, three of the larger screens reopened in 2023.

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