Cinedom
Multiplex cinema in Cologne's Mediapark — beneath the dome of its glazed rotunda, 3,200 diodes once traced the northern night sky.
The Cinedom is a multiplex cinema in Cologne's Mediapark and the district's very first building, opening in December 1991. Its fully glazed rotunda gives the complex its distinctive face towards the quarter's central square.
At a Glance
- Type
- Multiplex cinema
- Location
- Im Mediapark 1, Neustadt/Nord district (Innenstadt borough)
- Opened
- December 1991, first building in the Mediapark
- Screens
- 14 with a combined 3,511 seats and up to 64 speakers each
- Ranking
- Fifth-largest German cinema of its kind
- Floor area
- 26,500 m² gross floor area across three storeys
- Dining
- Branches including Vapiano, Hans im Glück, and a Ben & Jerry's counter
The Cinedom's dome was originally fitted with 3,200 fiber-optic diodes mapping the northern night sky, complete with an animated shooting star that occasionally swept across the entire dome.
Things to do here
- Catch the latest movie on the big screen
- Settle into one of the 14 screens and dive into the film
- Marvel at the huge glass dome of the rotunda
- Stroll across the bridges by the screens with their courtyard atmosphere
- Grab a bite at Vapiano, Hans im Glück or Ben & Jerry's before or after the film
- Watch and photograph the glass façade glowing at night from outside
History
Film producer Bernd Eichinger acquired the site in 1988 through a project company and attended the foundation stone-laying on 2 December 1988. Construction cost 100 million DM, with handover on 20 December 1991. The original fit-out included an event hall called "Black Box" and a billiards and snooker centre, both later repurposed. After the insolvency of the Kirch Group, Eichinger and managing director Thomas Peter Friedl became sole owners in 2006. Since 2012, a partnership with Cinemaxx AG has seen the company handle film buying, scheduling and the reservations system.
Architecture
The complex is clad in a tuff stone façade. Facing the Mediapark's central square, the fully glazed rotunda rises over 30 metres to a dome; its glass front allows views into the interior after dark. Inside, bridges on the middle and upper floors lead to every screen, and wide walkways throughout create a courtyard-like atmosphere. Two of the twelve dome segments open to reveal the Cologne sky above.
The Star Dome and Redesign
The 1991 interior put the cinema theme centre stage: 3,200 diodes across the dome traced the northern night sky, occasionally brought to life with an animated shooting star. Each screen entrance was framed by a large film-star wall poster, its colours echoed in the carpeting. From the second half of 2018, the interior was refurbished while the cinema stayed open. Because the star ceiling had partly failed and renewal was deemed uneconomical, it gave way to a light grey ceiling with an animated pattern; the colourful posters vanished under a coat of paint, replaced by a purple-and-white graphic scheme.
Premieres
At film premieres, international stars have presented their work here, among them Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan.
Timeline
- 1988Bernd Eichinger acquires the site; foundation stone laid on 2 December
- 1991Opens on 20 December as the first building of the Mediapark
- 2006Kirch Group insolvency: 53.5% stake sold in May to Eichinger & Friedl
- 2012Cooperation with CinemaxX for film buying, scheduling and booking system
- 2018Extensive interior renovation begins in the second half of the year
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
Address
Im Mediapark 1
50670 Köln
Hours
Mo: 13:30–21:30
Di: 13:30–21:30
Mi: 13:30–21:30
Do: 13:30–21:30
Fr: 13:30–23:30
Sa: 13:30–23:30
So: 10:30–21:00
Contact
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Sources & links
- Official website
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-06-24)
- Official website (retrieved 2026-06-24)
- Google Maps (retrieved 2026-06-24)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-26
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