Drive-in cinemas emerged in the United States in the 1930s, but they have found renewed relevance in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only one year ago, terms like “self-isolation,” “self-quarantine,” and “social-distancing” were simply not a part of the general lexicon. We now need to adhere to social-distancing measures, but we are inherently social beings. One of the few architectural typologies that can accommodate this unusual mix of self-isolation and entertainment is the drive-in cinema. In response, students designed a cinema installation that can be quickly assembled and disassembled to facilitate transportation to multiple communities around Bangkok. For the project to be economically sustainable over a longer period of time, a number of sites, programs, and festivals have been earmarked as potential opportunities for cinema events including the INDA Assembly, the Suanluang Square Field & Flea Market, and Bangkok Design Week 2021.

Drive-in cinemas emerged in the United States in the 1930s, but they have found renewed relevance in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only one year ago, terms like “self-isolation,” “self-quarantine,” and “social-distancing” were simply not a part of the general lexicon. We now need to adhere to social-distancing measures, but we are inherently social beings. One of the few architectural typologies that can accommodate this unusual mix of self-isolation and entertainment is the drive-in cinema. In response, students designed a cinema installation that can be quickly assembled and disassembled to facilitate transportation to multiple communities around Bangkok. For the project to be economically sustainable over a longer period of time, a number of sites, programs, and festivals have been earmarked as potential opportunities for cinema events including the INDA Assembly, the Suanluang Square Field & Flea Market, and Bangkok Design Week 2021.