The feasibility study was initiated by Screensaver BV, the new owner of the Sphinx building in the city centre of Ghent, in close collaboration with the cinema operators. The study explored a wide range of scenarios—ranging from S to M to L (small to medium to large)—each linked to spatial and energy concepts that illustrated the building’s potential and its interaction with the urban fabric.

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Originally constructed in 1912 as a ballroom with a café for the Liberal House, the building was converted fifteen years later into a cinema with a tiered seating area, designed by the same architect, Geo Henderick. In the 1970s, the then Ciné Plaza was transformed once again into a large cinema hall, with two smaller cinema rooms added above and below—marking the birth of Cinema Calypso. During the 1980s, room 4 and 5 were added, and the cinema continued as an arthouse venue under the name Sphinx.

 

In parallel with tracing the evolution of the building, the study also documented its remaining heritage qualities—what could be considered as architectural “leftovers.” These remnants are valued as some of the few surviving traces of Ghent’s rich cultural history and of architect Henderick’s legacy.

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The needs and ambitions of the cinema operators Sphinx were central to the study, as the venue is clearly outdated and in need of renewal. Key focus areas included sustainability, accessibility, energy-efficient solutions, significant acoustic improvements, the upgrading of outdated infrastructure (electricity, heating, ventilation), logistics and circulation flow optimization, potential for horeca (food & beverage) integration, expanded sanitation facilities, and opportunities for new or complementary functions through synergy.

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The team succeeded in developing a range of compelling scenarios, from which one was selected as the preferred vision. This final scenario upheld the core ambition: a masterplan to preserve the cinema’s cultural function while ensuring its sustainable future for the next 30 to 40 years.