There’s no reason you should know the name of the Louxor, but the story behind the place is incredible – a cinema with amazing Egyptian-style architecture that became a nightclub in the 80s before being abandoned and closed for 30 years, and is now being reborn – as a cinema again – after three long years of renovation by the Paris council.

Read on for the full story.

The Louxor almost didn’t make it. The story of the place, and the many near-disasters along the way, is told on the website of the non-profit group Les Amis du Louxor that fought hard for its preservation. It was almost demolished and replaced with another building, and other plans almost disfigured its now-protected façade. The fact that it survived 30 years of being empty is astonishing in itself.

Luckily, the Louxor can now be enjoyed by everyone, thanks to major renovation and heavy investment, and the good news is that the authorities have decided to recreate the original interior décor – and it looks great!

Even if you don’t speak French, the little film below will show you the scope of the restoration work…

With a program of films from southern Europe, and cheap prices, the cinema wants to fit in with its mixed neighbourhood, and even help rejuvenate it.

The cinema is precisely on the corner of three arrondissements (9th, 10th and 18th) and to celebrate the opening each of the town halls is holding an exhibition: the 9th arrondissement is concentrating on the restoration painstakingly done by six specialists, the 18th’s effort is all about the demise of popular cinema houses, and the 10th tells the whole story of the place from its origins right up to the present day.As well as having three screening rooms now (342, 140 and 74 seats, plus places for wheelchair users), the cinema also has a cafe with a panoramic view. Worth checking out!

The Louxor is here.

Official site: www.cinemalouxor.fr

Facebook: facebook.com/paris.louxor

The Louxor on allocine (our version of Screenrush): here

Les Amis du Louxor: www.lesamisdulouxor.fr