Kinowerks hosts private screenings, business presentations, meetings and creative events for up to 125 guests across a theater, a black box studio and a conference room. The creative hub stands at 5645 N Ravenswood Ave on Chicago's North Side, in a building first renovated by the filmmakers Lana and Lilly Wachowski, and rental fees support its community programs and workshops.
Seminars and company events
The Conference Room covers 960 square feet under a high ceiling with timber bowstring trusses and two long skylights with electric shades. A custom table seats 14 in Herman Miller Aeron chairs, the room takes 26 seated in other layouts or 60 standing, and two flat-screen TVs and a 50-inch mobile monitor handle presentations. The Theater suits a product screening, a keynote or a talk, with a laptop connection, and adds multi-camera live streaming and professional recording for an extra fee. Booking options also include AV and projection, lighting, sound, furniture setup and staffing. A liaison stays on site during every booking, and rentals run 24 hours a day, subject to availability.
Rooms and capacities
The Theater covers 1,300 square feet and holds 50 seated, 75 standing or 32 in reclining seats, with portable seating on request. It has a cinema screen with an NEC projector playing DCP, Blu-ray or HDMI, 5.2 surround sound and soundproofed walls. The Black Box covers 1,500 square feet, a blackout studio with acoustic padding, drop-down drapes and a retractable backboard, and takes 125 standing or 50 seated. It is used for short films, music videos, interviews and screenings as well as events. Other rental spaces include a half-court gym, a lounge, a kitchen and a green room.
Catering
There is no in-house catering or bar. Organisers bring an outside caterer and their own alcohol, and the kitchen can be booked as part of the rental. The house rules should be checked at booking, as one page states that outside catering is not allowed.
History and setting
Kinowerks presents itself as a space designed by and for artists, filmmakers and creative organizations. The building keeps its industrial details, with recycled terrazzo floors, bamboo wall panels and exposed trusses in the conference room. The site describes its practices as eco-conscious.
Getting there
The address is 5645 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60660. Street parking is free, the spaces are at ground level and fully ADA compliant, and a load-in ramp and loading dock make setup straightforward. Viewings are offered on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for organisers who want to see the rooms first. The Ravenswood corridor is close to the Metra commuter line that runs alongside the street.
