20221129 RexKL

In my teens, one of the more common cinemas I'd go to would be the Rex Cinema. Cathay and Pavilion would follow close behind. I suppose this was because Rex was closer to Kota Raya where I'd take the Bus to and from home. On a few occasion, I'd alight from the Sri Jaya no.5 there and walk straight to school too.

The only memory I had was watching the Aliens movie right after our last exams. And after that, well, I cannot remember much.

The front of RexKL is now surrounded by trees.

The staircase would be the very first thing you see once you enter the cinema.
Once you climb up, you'd be faced with the ticket sellers seated behind their glass windows.
She'd would have in front of her, a sheet of the Cinema's seats for the show. You can then select any seat that has not been crossed out.

Another view of the main staircase. I did never go down on the stairs on the left.
I suppose that was the car park. Maybe I did park my Dad's car there but the memory is vague.

So, taking the stairs down, the whole car park has been transformed into some kind of dimly lit eatery.

Going back up and onto the first floor, there is a bookshop called the Mentor Bookshop.

Across it would be Mano Go.

The first floor would be the main are where the Normal Class seats are.
Yes, they have kept the slope. Anyway, there is some kind of student activity where they are preparing for some show/ exhibition. I'll come back to this later.

Students preparing their exhibits.

I have no memory of the toilets but seeing most of the building and stairs are intact, I assumed this is how the original toilet was located.

Man, I love these classic and simple wash sinks

NFT vending machine

Taking the stairs to the higher level, this would be the main Lobby for the First Class seats.
I suppose they called it First Class so that they could charge more but for us teens, it was the upper level was the right height without craning our necks. Anyway, do be-careful of this automatic glass door and I have just witnessed someone banged their head on the right-most pane.

Once you're inside, you'd be overwhelmed with the labyrinth of shelves and books. The spots are quite harsh on the exposed areas and does make me want to seek shelter in one darker sections. Through my face mask, I can smell whiffs of wood.

The large window allows you to look at the street below but during the heavy rain, there is nothing much to see. It is quite depressing to see big signs but when you look closer, they are actually shuttered. And this was and still is, one of the busiest streets in KL.

There is a section where you are allowed to climb up and this is just to whet your curiosity.

I have never been to this area before but I suppose this staircase could be one of those emergency exits. I had to walk over a plank to get to this area and with the glass flooring, I had a brief vertigo since I am looking at two floors down.

I took a Panoramic shot but the effect is not there.
Once you come to this are, its a little scary.

OK, let's climb down and explore further.

I like the ceiling lighting detail and irl its not that dim.
But if you're alone, you might suffer a brief panic attack as this section is like a maze.

This is the staircase which leads to the First Class seats.
Back in time, your nostrils would be hit with various olfactory assaults of salty and sourish sweat, lingering cigarette smells, and surprisingly, no alcohol.

Comic books at the end of the stairs. Cool.

Turning back, you can see the sloping wall of the staircase on the left. A little to the middle is where the bunch of us teens would be sitting.

The glass has replaced the concrete balcony. So, yeah, do be careful where you walk. There are so many 'steps' and in some cases, if you assumed they are the same, you could be facing a nasty fall. There are a few warning notices on this.

It's so surreal. The harsh spots and the darkened walls made the whole place looked and felt as if this is some library at the edge of the World.

Hello, this segment has a glass floor. I'll come back to this later.

There is some kind of an open space bar.

Be careful, the steps are uneven.

It's time to see what these guys are up to...
I took this image from one of the balcony which has been blocked off with a glass pane.
The glare of the spots made it very hard to see beyond the glass's reflection.
OK, if you break the glass, you will fall straight down.

There is a section where I am unable to enter. This might be possible via the floor below as there are some steps.

Again, the mismatched steps.

Remember the glass flooring?
This allows light from the spots and is actually a very good idea.

One of the students let me go to the front of the stage so I can take some shots of the BookAccess.

It's still raining but although thirsty, I was tempted with some burgers

In the end, a Raspberry Pepsi did the trick.