VIDIOTS
A 1929 theater is revived into a cultural hub for film lovers, combining its historic elements with the quirky 80s style of the storied Vidiots movie rental store.
Non-profit video store Vidiots engaged Wick Architects for their new home in Eagle Rock. The project consists of the deep video collection catalog from their former beloved location in Santa Monica, combined with an existing historic 1920's movie theater. The 1929 Yosemite Theater was restored from its prior Church incarnation back into a 250 seat theater. Elements of the Vidiots’ 80’s style are interwoven with the classic hallmarks of the original theater. The exterior facade displays surprising splashes of color. Customers enter the theater via a sloped walkway, passing by a donor wall of video tapes, into the expanded original lobby, complete with a new vintage style concession stand and separate bar. The connected retail store will include a second forty seat micro-theater to showcase screenings, community events, and workshops.
Project Size: 10,458 SF
Project Location: Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA
“…we can welcome all of L.A. and beyond back to the video store and the beautiful Eagle Theatre. In our corner of Northeast L.A., film will once again thrive as the social, communal, inspiring, life-changing art form it has been for over 100 years.”
—Maggie Mackay, Executive Director of Vidiots Foundation, in the Los Angeles Times
Photography: Provided by Vidiots