AN ICONIC CINEMA VENUE IN Kamnik
Today’s Dom kulture Kamnik, originally known as Kino dom Kamnik, was built in 1953 as part of the Kamnik Chemical Industry complex, popularly referred to as Barutana or Smodnišnica. The venue was constructed through voluntary community labour by the factory workers themselves, who also opened its doors to the wider public. Regular cinema screenings took place in the building, while dancing events were held in the smaller upstairs hall on Friday evenings. Initially, the basement housed public washing facilities with showers, as well as several apartments and a kitchen with a dining room. Among the notable visitors to the venue were Josip Broz Tito and his wife Jovanka Broz.
Dom kulture Kamnik features one large hall, a club space, two smaller halls intended for daily activities, and a gallery. Most of the cultural programme for visitors takes place in the Grand Hall and the Kino Dom Club, while the Small Hall is used by dancers, sports and recreational groups, and choirs. The gallery regularly hosts photography and visual art exhibitions.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the film programme was the defining activity of Kino dom Kamnik. A dedicated subscription series was introduced for cinema enthusiasts, while major theatre and opera companies also performed at the venue. For its time, the stage was exceptionally well equipped, even featuring a revolving section and an orchestra pit. A more turbulent chapter followed. In 1999, the venue temporarily operated as Kamnik’s techno-rave centre, while around 2000 the hall also served as a boxing venue. Beneath the stage, various alternative music groups from Kamnik — including Corkscrew, Arche, Not and Regrad — rehearsed, while from 1996 onwards the dusty stage was also used by the cultural association Priden možic.
Today, the building’s two principal spaces are the main hall with 243 seats and the Kino Dom Club with capacity for up to 90 guests. The venue is also available for hire for a variety of events.
CONTACT
Dom Kulture Kamnik
Fužine 10
Kamnik, Slovenia
T: +386 1 831 82 26
E: info@domkulture.org
W: www.domkulture.org
