Using Liminal Space as a Third Place within cinema to encourage social community engagement among young adults.

This project highlights how liminal spaces in cinema can be designed to engage us physically and socially and to reconnect us with in-person community life. The focus is on connectivity through storytelling and on harnessing organic opportunities for discussion, creating a well-rounded experience. Directed at 18-30-year-olds to combat overreliance on social media, regain confidence in physical social environments, and reconnect with the community.

The overuse of social media does not necessarily cause feelings of loneliness; rather, they are a problematic side effect of physical social disconnection. This proposal does not advocate for the eradication of social media use but rather for limitations that can be enacted through physically and sensorily stimulating social environments provided as a new third place.

Studies have shown that we are more likely to focus when watching on a big screen (The Open University, 2024) and that our emotional reactions are stronger when surrounded by others than when alone. Our emotions, heart rates, and breathing sync up, making the experience a deeper, shared one. (Hancock, 2024).

Analysis of home viewing led to the creation of dedicated viewing spaces in this proposal that are less formal and more relaxed, providing a sense of home away from home. Not everyone can, or wants to, socialise in their homes, but would feel more comfortable watching something there. I wanted to create a space that made both possible.

Each designated space within the site is designed to create a new and interesting viewing experience.

The film club will invite people to watch Films and TV while providing a large open space for discussions and flexible workshops. Intended to be a standout feature providing opportunities for socialising, waiting, and watching, all set within an interconnected journey.

The archival zones will predominantly be on the upper floor and serve as rentable spaces where visitors can browse an extensive catalogue of DVDs, videos, and streaming platforms, and watch with a group of friends—aimed at making TV and cinema accessible to all and providing comfortable third-party environments for people to gather. This helps the community establish a sense of ownership and belonging to the space.

The café is a community “social cinema” allowing any member of the public to people-watch and participate in the viewing experience without directly associating themselves with the cinema. This will include external seating to draw passers-by into the site and encourage exploration.

The proposal will also utilise dead zones as social seating to further encourage visitors to pause and wait in the liminal moments.

Throughout, I have drawn inspiration from the natural forms of nature and fire. A fire pit is often seen as a social gathering place, connecting people through nature and storytelling. The use of organic shapes inspired by nature’s forms can contrast with the existing linear structure, symbolising a release from the confines of digital interaction and a reconnection with one another.

Liminal space can be linked to that of a journey through nature, flowing and ever-changing. This can serve as a guide for users, leading us into new opportunities physically, mentally, and socially. The edge effect states that when different habitats come together, the zone becomes enriched and more diverse. I have applied this theory to liminal spaces in social zones, highlighting how diversity in the in-between moments, such as cinema waiting areas and film clubs, can broaden our scope of thinking and encourage visitors to explore, considering points of view they would never have before.

I have played with form, tactility, and the act of viewing through model-making, testing materials, and lighting. Models were created to explore the journey through space and the opportunities it offers for movement and pause within liminal spaces. I have tested its structure changing in height, flow, and direction, sparking curiosity while engaging the senses.

I have used neutral base materials throughout to help light bounce, keeping it feeling warm and open. At the same time, the film club and screen rooms remain darker to optimise viewing. Glass block walls will line the main room, helping to pull in natural light when possible and offering new and unique vantage points. There will be nods back to traditional theatre and cinema with added modernism in form and sensory elements, enhancing the original atmosphere.

When testing materiality and lighting through film projection, I have noted that lighting affects the readability of a projection, but it does not stop us from seeing it altogether; it alters our perception, ultimately changing how a filmmaker intended the film to feel and shaping our collective experience. This is not inherently good or bad, but it offers a new perspective and encourages discussion.

The aim was to demonstrate how lighting, materiality, sound, and transitional spatial conditions can generate alternative cinematic rituals that respond to screen-saturated cultures. Allowing space for moments of pause feels intentional and part of the journey rather than a second-hand moment. This recentres people with place and has key third-place features; it is playful and accessible while acting as a neutral ground for conversation. (Oldenburg, 1999)