Cineplexx

At the turn of the millennium, the Cineplexx City was built near Salzburg's main railway station, combining urban revitalisation, leisure activities and architectural flair. The new building was constructed between 1999 and 2001 according to plans by Rüdiger Lainer + Partner and formed the centre of a mixed-use complex built on the site of the former Konsum bread factory.

The central architectural motif was the translucent building envelope – a glass façade made of LAMBERTS EcoGlass ornamental glass mesh. This glass, with its mesh-like structure reminiscent of fine basket weave, gives the building a fabric-like appearance. The shell filters the light in a differentiated manner and, depending on the time of day, lighting and weather conditions, undergoes an almost imperceptible metamorphosis: from translucent and light to mysteriously reflective. This ambivalence was the appeal of the ‘glass cube’, which served as a spatially and atmospherically effective transition between public space and interior life.

For many years, the building was home to a multiplex cinema with eight screens, flanked by retail outlets, restaurants and a spacious underground car park. The ‘Alte Brotfabrik’ (old bread factory) – a partially listed building – was integrated into the ensemble and later converted into a hostel.

After the cinema closed, the building stood largely empty. In February 2023, STRABAG took over the approximately 5,600 m² site, which includes the former cinema, a shopping arcade and a two-storey car park. The building is now called “City Centre”.