Its rich history, starting in the 1880s, can be seen in the decorative wrought-iron balustrade and brass handrail from the Victorian era, and in later additions such as the decorative 1930s mouldings on some of the ceilings.

In the 1950s an arcade was added, piercing the original building in Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn.

"We've treated the refurbishment to allow the different design periods to be 'read'," says architect Aidan Halloran, a director of ITN Architects. "But the name of the original theatre has been retained (named after the Lido in Paris)," he adds.

The brief from the Lido Cinemas owners, Eddie and Lindy Tamir, who also engaged ITN Architects to renovate their cinemas in Elsternwick (The Classic) and Belgrave (The Cameo), was to include eight cinemas, while retaining as much of the original fabric as possible.

To accommodate eight cinemas for between 50 and 200 patrons is challenging, given the original Victorian building. However, the Tamirs' brief also included an open cinema on the roof terrace to accommodate about 100 people. The few words used by the client included "surprise us".

"Getting everything to fit under one roof was challenging, particularly as we didn't want to detract from the facade," says Halloran, referring to some of the painted-out windows as "ghostly".

Access to the Lido Cinemas is via the arcade, which has been spruced up by ITN Architects with steel-and-glass shopfronts and clear signage. However, up the new vibrant red staircase to the foyer the "surprise" awaits.

The reception counter/food counter that extends to a second seating area sits within a black, vaulted-shape ceiling. "It has quite a moody feel at night," says Halloran, who was inspired by a couple of films from the outset of the design process, Alphaville by Jean-Luc Godard and The Trial by Orson Welles. "In both films, there's a combination of the past and the futuristic, from the sets through to the art direction. It's quite disconcerting," says Halloran.

The Lido Cinemas' terrazzo floor from the 1930s located on the first-floor cafe has been retained. However, ITN Architects added smoke mirrors on the reception/food counter and also on walls to reflect light and capture the glam from the era. New, overscaled parquetry floors also add to the '30s ambience, but in a contemporary way.

Rather than one colour throughout the architects used a rainbow, one for each cinema, from red and pink to blue, green and orange. And to ensure patrons find their way to the correct cinema, a series of graphic lines on the linoleum floors in all of the eight colours lead to the various cinema doors.

"We colour-blocked each cinema using a range of hues in the same colour," says Halloran, pointing out the red armchairs and vermilion walls in the "red cinema". "Patrons are also handed a ticket of the same colour to make that journey clearer," he adds. The blue cinema is also entirely blue, a tone that was taken from the original plaster ceiling that makes its presence felt in a number of the cinemas.

Even when you think you've seen everything, there's more. A lift takes patrons to the roof terrace, offering glimpses of the city skyline and the quaint Victorian first-floor facades that line the Glenferrie Road shopping strip.

The film screen almost becomes secondary. "During the warmer months of the year, this space is quite magical. People just grab a beanbag and feel like they're lounging around in their own home," says Halloran. "But for this screening you need a headset (to eliminate passing traffic below)," he adds.