Basement cinema rooms in Kensington.
Chelsea · SW3 · Chelsea townhouse, full refurbishmentCompleted work, photograph
Kensington terraces share their walls, so a cinema must keep its sound to itself. We isolate the room from the house, then equip it.
A Kensington cinema, kept to itself.
- Shared walls
- Bass is kept out of the brick and joists.
- Survey first
- We measure what the old lower floor really offers.
- One contract
- Structure, sound and fit out sit under one team.
NU Projects is a design and build company in Fulham SW6, founded in 2010. We handle basement cinema rooms in Kensington W8, under one contract. A basement runs £450 to £780 a sq ft, construction only. Call 020 7731 6841, and a budget estimate typically follows within seven days.
Kensington has tall terraces, large villas and mansion flats. Their lower floors were built for staff, not for screens. Expect thick old walls, low arches and uneven floors. A cinema here begins with a survey of what is there.
Kensington and Chelsea limited basement extent in January 2015. That rule is now Policy CD11. The storey cannot later be split into two floors. So a cinema and a gym share one level, not two.
The danger in a terrace is the shared wall. Low bass runs through brick and joists into the next house. We build an inner shell that touches the old walls as little as possible. Seats, screen and speakers are fixed to that shell alone.
We dug two new houses in Kensington, three floors down. Their lower floor holds a steam room and walnut joinery. In Chelsea, in the same borough, we built a cinema room with copper shelving. We design, price and build the structure and the room together.
What the council allows in Kensington.
- Council
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which covers all of Kensington.
- Extent
- CL7, adopted January 2015, was the first policy to limit basement extent. Since 2024 it is Policy CD11.
- Later changes
- Under the 2016 SPD, the storey cannot be split later.
- Planning
- An Article 4 direction since April 2016 means every basement needs planning.
Source: Kensington and Chelsea’s Local Plan 2024, Policies CD4, CD5, CD11 and CD13. Read on 3 October 2026. Policies change, so we read them again for your address.
Dug and fitted in the borough.
Chelsea·Townhouse
Chelsea townhouse, full refurbishment
A cinema room with a deep corner sofa and copper shelving, in Chelsea.
See the project
Kensington·New build
Kensington new-build houses
The lower leisure floor of two new houses in Kensington, with a steam room.
See the projectCompleted work, photographs
What a basement cinema costs in Kensington.
£450 to £780a sq ft, construction only. Our basement band.
£180k to £300kConverting an existing basement. A project total, from our 2026 cost guide.
£500k to £900k+Digging a new basement. A project total, from our 2026 cost guide.
These are two kinds of figure. The band is a rate per square foot, construction only.
The cost guide figures are whole project totals.
Fees, party wall costs, contingency and VAT sit outside them.
What Kensington owners ask about cinemas.
In Kensington
- Every service in Kensington
- Basement construction in Kensington
- House extensions in Kensington
- Luxury refurbishment in Kensington
- Interior design in Kensington
- Party wall surveying in Kensington
- Architects in Kensington
- Basement swimming pools in Kensington
- Basement gyms in Kensington
- Basement golf simulator rooms in Kensington
Cinemas nearby
- Basement cinema rooms across London
- Basement cinema rooms in Chelsea
- Basement cinema rooms in South Kensington
- Basement cinema rooms in Holland Park
- Basement cinema rooms in Notting Hill
- Basement cinema rooms in Knightsbridge
- Basement cinema rooms in Belgravia
- Basement cinema rooms in Mayfair
- Basement cinema rooms in St John’s Wood
- Basement cinema rooms in Hampstead
- Basement cinema rooms in Fulham
- Notting Hill and Holland Park
- South Kensington
- Chelsea
Further reading, from the journal
Will a Kensington terrace cinema be heard next door?
Not if the room is built as a separate shell.
We keep it clear of the party wall and treat the floor as well.
Can a Kensington mansion flat have a cinema room?
Often, yes, if there is a lower ground floor or a spare inner room.
The freehold and the neighbours above shape what is possible.
What is the price range for a Kensington home cinema?
Our basement band is £450 to £780 a sq ft, construction only.
Access and ground conditions move the final figure.
How do you plan a cinema beside a gym in a Kensington basement?
Both rooms share one storey, so we draw them together.
The cinema sits furthest from the weights, with a sealed door between.
How long does a Kensington cinema room take to build?
It depends on whether the basement is new or already exists.
We give a programme once we have surveyed the house.
Tell us about your home in Kensington.
Your name and one way to reply are enough. It goes straight to the studio.
- Already have an architect or designer? We build to their design. Working with your designer
- An NDA on request, and your home is never published without your consent. How we work in confidence