Every year, KLM unveils a new miniature house to mark its anniversary on 7 October. This year’s house is a Delftware miniature of Tuschinski Theatre in Amsterdam.
This new house arrives just three weeks before the Tuschinski movie theatre celebrates its centenary. This stunning cinema was opened on 28 October 1921 by the Polish immigrant Abraham Icek Tuschinski. With Hermann Ehrlich and Hermann Gerschtanowitz, Tuschinksi had built up a cinema empire in Rotterdam by the time a piece of ground near the Munt in Amsterdam caught his eye.
Fine lines and beautiful stone
The cinema that emerged here brought together a number of architectural styles: Amsterdam School, Jugendstil and art deco. When it opened, the newspaper Het Vaderland wrote: “The Tuschinski’s monumental facade, with its fine lines and beautiful stone, belies the interplay of light that triumphs within”. This combination of styles echoes throughout the building in colourful murals and the ambient glow of its ornamental lamps.
Abraham Tuschinski organised gala film premieres in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, which attracted major international stars of the day. He also introduced the red carpet to the Netherlands. The cinema’s current owner, Pathé, has carried out extensive restoration work on the building, reinstating its unique atmosphere. Earlier this year, the Tuschinski was proclaimed the most beautiful cinema in the world by the British Time Out Magazine.
About the KLM miniature houses
KLM has been presenting miniature Delftware houses containing Bols Jenever gin to World Business Class passengers on intercontinental flights since the 1950s. The houses are replicas of special buildings in the Netherlands and are much sought after collector’s items. Since 1994, the house number has matched KLM’s age, with a new miniature being added to the collection every year around KLM’s anniversary on 7 October.
“Now the world is gradually beginning to reopen, we are looking forward to taking our customers to special places of culture, such as the Tuschinski movie theatre. Like KLM, the Tuschinski has a long history. Abraham Tuschinski’s philosophy, creating a warm sense of home and giving customers a memorable experience, is what KLM stands for too. Tuschinski Theatre is a beautiful addition to the KLM collection of Delftware miniature houses,” says KLM President-director and CEO Pieter Elbers
Take a look inside Tuschinski Theatre here: