In the Teofilów district of Łódź stands a dilapidated building which, in its heyday, was one of the city’s most important cultural venues. It is the former Iwanowo cinema, later known as Adria, and subsequently the Dekompresja club. The building, dating from the 1970s, was abandoned over a decade ago, yet its distinctive form and the charm of modernism are still evident.
Iwanowo Cinema – a friendship between two cities
The history of the building dates back to 1973, when the Municipal Cinema Authority began construction of a new cinema in Teofilów. The name Iwanowo was no coincidence. It referred to the twinning arrangement between Łódź and the Russian town of Ivanovo. At the time when a new cinema was being built in Teofilów, the Łódź cinema was already operating in Ivanovo, some 1,500 km away. This gesture was intended to highlight the close ties between the cities and became a symbol of the cooperation promoted by the authorities of the People’s Republic of Poland. The grand opening took place on 30 April 1975 in the presence of a delegation from the USSR.
Teofilów’s modernist landmark
The cinema’s architecture reflected the aesthetics of late modernism. The low, somewhat pavilion-like structure featured large glazed windows in the foyer, a wide portico at the entrance and a clearly distinct section housing the auditorium. The building’s fittings made quite an impression. The auditorium could seat as many as 570 people at once, making Iwanowo one of the largest cinemas in the country. The installed 70 mm projectors enabled the screening of panoramic films in a quality available in only a handful of Polish venues. The public also had access to air-conditioned interiors and extensive facilities, which in the mid-1970s were among the very best in the country.
Łódź: from Adria to Dekompresja
Political changes led to a change in the venue’s name. In 1993, Iwanowo gave way to Adria. The cinema, however, continued to operate and underwent modernisation under the supervision of the Helios Film Centre. Video screenings were organised there, and some screenings even took place in the foyer. Ultimately, the expansion of multiplexes sealed the venue’s fate. At the start of the 21st century, traditional single-screen cinemas began to lose their audience. In 2001, information emerged regarding the possibility of renting the building, whilst the venue’s operations were finally wound up a few years later, around 2005.
The former Iwanowo cinema – an abandoned witness to an era
After its final screenings, the building was given a new lease of life as the Dekompresja music club. For almost 10 years, it was one of the most important venues in Łódź for hosting concerts. Rock, metal and alternative bands performed on its stage, and for many residents, the name Dekompresja became more recognisable than the earlier Iwanowo or Adria. After the club closed around 2014, the building stood empty and fell into a state of serious disrepair. Today it is owned by the local authority and is managed by the Łódź Province Property Board.
Source: edukacjafilmowa.pl, lodz.pl
See also:Architecture in Poland | Modernism|Interesting facts|History | Łódź
