Designed by Studio NEiDA, The Falcon Cinema is a community and art centre located in Berekuso, Ghana, commissioned by film curator and Founding Director Jacqueline Nsiah. The cinema's mission is to create a home for cineastes to preserve Africa's cinematic legacy while hosting critical and creative thinking about contemporary filmmaking on the continent, designed and curated with a pan-African approach. The programme includes a 250-seat and a 150-seat screening room, a restaurant, an archive, communal spaces, an education hub, and an outdoor cinema. A second compound is planned for a future phase, to house living quarters for filmmakers in residence. Still in the design phase, the project started in 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2027.
The purpose-built, independent cinema is specifically designed to host programming focused on productions from and about the African continent and its diaspora. The request from the client centred on the creation of a comprehensive archive, with the aim of ensuring that film reels currently scattered across the globe are returned to an institution committed to their long-term preservation. The Falcon is designed to complement Ghana's rapid growth with a space that archives the industry's rich past while platforming a new generation of critical and creative voices. It aims to be inclusive across ethnicity, gender, religion, and sexual orientation.
Located in Berekuso, a suburb approximately one hour north of Accra and home to Ashesi University, the site sits at the edge of the capital's urban sprawl, connected to the city centre via a planned road, yet removed from its density. The project is composed of four buildings arranged around a courtyard, a historically significant layout inspired by communal compounds found in Asante architecture. This arrangement provides natural shading, while a covered walkway offers protection from rain. The building minimises indoor space and sealed surfaces: the main cinema is an outdoor planted amphitheatre, allowing rainwater to drain into the surrounding land and support local vegetation.
The choice of materials responds to Ghana's constructive tradition while facilitating passive cooling and thermal comfort through thermal mass. Natural ventilation is achieved through a specially designed roof assembly with an opening that allows hot air to escape, and the roof's slant channels rainwater into the central courtyard, creating a microclimate within the building. The community space is built from earth materials and features a thatched roof made from palm leaves, referencing Asante traditional buildings. Construction waste is planned to be repurposed into the undulating courtyard seating landscape. The project was a recipient of the Europe 40 Under 40 Architecture and Design Award 2026, celebrating the world's most promising talents in architecture and design.
As streaming platforms have captured much of the film-viewing market, on-site cinema experiences are under increasing pressure to offer something richer than home viewing, a challenge reflected in the gradual decline of public entertainment infrastructure built in the early twentieth century. In response, institutional and community efforts are driving the construction of new cultural venues. Following an international design competition launched in January 2026, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama (MAC Panamá) selected Mexican architects Palma + Taller TO to design its new building, while the Centre Pompidou has expanded to Seoul with the new Hanwha Centre, designed by Wilmotte & Associés.
