Basement cinema rooms in South Kensington.
Chelsea · SW3 · Chelsea townhouse, full refurbishmentCompleted work, photograph
In a South Kensington stucco house, the cinema is often the lowest room. Height is the first thing we protect.
A South Kensington cinema starts with height.
- Raked seats
- Where height allows, the back row sits higher.
- Planning needed
- Every basement here needs permission since April 2016.
- Ducts sized early
- Slow air is quiet air.
NU Projects is a design and build company in Fulham SW6, founded in 2010. We handle basement cinema rooms in South Kensington SW7, 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.
South Kensington is white stucco, tall and narrow. Many houses are split into flats, and some are houses again. The lowest floor was once service space. A cinema suits it, but only if the ceiling is high enough.
Policy CD11 holds the dig to one storey under half the garden. The 2016 Basements SPD names pools for a little extra depth, not cinemas. So the room must fit inside one storey. Height is planned at the start.
Where height allows, we rake the seating. A low step behind the front row gives every seat a clear view. The screen wall needs its own frame, with speakers set inside it. Large, slow ducts bring air without a hiss.
We dug two new houses in Kensington, three floors down. They have a pool and a steam room. Their lower floors show how ducts, plant and structure share a tight space. One NU team designs, prices and builds each cinema.
What the council allows in South Kensington.
- Council
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
- Policy CD11
- Adopted as CL7 in January 2015, kept in the 2024 Local Plan. One storey, under half the garden.
- Pools
- The 2016 SPD allows extra depth for a pool only.
- Planning
- Since April 2016, every basement here needs planning permission.
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 built 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
A lower floor under construction in Kensington, with piles, steel props and ventilation ducts.
See the projectCompleted work, photographs
What a basement cinema costs in South 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 South Kensington owners ask about cinemas.
In South Kensington
- Every service in South Kensington
- Interior design in South Kensington
- Basement construction in South Kensington
- Luxury refurbishment in South Kensington
- Basement swimming pools in South Kensington
- Basement gyms in South Kensington
- Basement golf simulator rooms in South Kensington
Cinemas nearby
- Basement cinema rooms across London
- Basement cinema rooms in Chelsea
- Basement cinema rooms in 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
- Kensington
- Chelsea
- Knightsbridge
Further reading, from the journal
How tall must a South Kensington basement cinema be?
It depends on the screen, the seats and the ceiling build up.
We test the section before anything is dug or ordered.
Can a South Kensington cinema room have stepped seating?
Yes, where the floor to ceiling height allows it.
A low step behind the front row is often enough.
What does a South Kensington basement media room cost?
Our basement band is £450 to £780 a sq ft, construction only.
A cinema is priced as part of the whole lower floor.
Does a South Kensington cinema get extra depth like a pool?
No. The SPD names pools, not cinemas.
So the cinema is designed within one storey.
How is air handled in a South Kensington home cinema?
Large ducts move air slowly, through lined runs.
Fans sit outside the room, so the seats stay quiet.
Tell us about your home in South 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