It’s hard to imagine that at the end of the 1950s, there was the unbelievable number of 86 cinemas in Cologne. Only 12 of them have survived to date. One of them is located in Sülz – the former “Studio am Weißhaus”, built in 1958, today known as Weißhaus-Kino.
It’s a cinema for the neighborhoods of Sülz and Klettenberg and shows the sort of movies which academics, students and kids like to attend: from the sophisticated arthouse film (sometimes the original version) to the latest James Bond movie, from premieres with attendance by actors and directors to a program for children every weekend… anyway, I love my cinema and its old-fashioned facade and interior!
When the former long-time owner had to retire in 2010, people in the neighborhood worried about the threatening closure of the theatre, but fortunately the owner of the great Off-Broadway cinema took it over as a second business.
Weißhaus-Kino has two screening halls. One really big one with 266 seats and a very small one (the former cloakroom) with 72 seats.
I especially like the 50s-style entrance hall and stairway. A great vintage counter (which perfectly fits with the architecture) is the eye-catcher in the entrance hall. Here you can order a beer or ice cream before your film starts.
