The research subject is the closed cinemas in İzmir city center. Konak is selected as the case district since it hosted the first movie screening events and later the first cinema spaces. Also, it hosts different kinds of neighborhoods that enable it to make a comparison in terms of cinema qualities for potential differences between different areas’ cinemas. Early research on cinemas in İzmir shows that there were spatially different kinds of indoor cinema spaces. The first screenings were done in existing coffeehouses and theatres. Some existing buildings were transformed into cinemas, or they were used temporarily for movie screenings. As cinema became a popular event, new cinema buildings started to be designed and built. 1922 Great İzmir Fire changed the cinema sector and spaces in the city center together with many other changes. Over time the characteristics of the buildings changed. The variety includes single-screen large cinema halls in cinema buildings only functioning as cinemas. There were also cinema buildings with multiple halls. In addition, there were multifunctional buildings including cinemas. In these, cinema could be the main or secondary function. Other than changes in hall numbers and sizes, programming strategies, and design/style of the cinemas were the changes that happened over time. Today new cinemas in İzmir are the ones in shopping malls and have similar spatial qualities, and management.
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