The 10-storey cinema, currently taking shape in the heart of the capital's South Bank, promises to thrill cinema-goers with big screen 2D and Imax 3D shows.

The BBC's Tristran Chistratec reports from the IMAX site

These screenings are reckoned to be so convincing that audiences will be given pre-viewing instructions in case the experience makes them feel unwell.

With the help of �15m of lottery funding the giant drum-shaped Imax building will house the special projector - which is the size of a small car - needed for 3D films.

Imax uses film 10 times bigger than regular cinema film

This special film is projected onto a giant screen which extends beyond the viewer's peripheral vision, giving them the impression of being in the middle of the action.

The screen is so big that a whale can appear life-size.

But it's not only the projection technology that's hi-tech, the construction work on the building itself uses the very latest techniques too.

From the outside, passers-by can see the building's glass gallery, which will be lit at night, lighting up the South Bank area.

Because the building, next to Waterloo Bridge, is located in the middle of one of London's busiest traffic junctions and over the top of a busy network of underground train tunnels, special thought was given to maintaining sound quality within the cinema.

To prevent noise and vibrations from seriously damaging the cinema experience, the cinema's auditorium will be suspended from above and cushioned from below by a complex system of springs and suspension.

The walls are 750mm thick to stop traffic noise and to contain the sound provided by the cinema's 11,600-watt digital surround sound system.

But cinema-goers will soon be able to judge for themselves whether the architects' efforts to soundproof the auditorium and the latest Imax technology will combine to give the ultimate cinema experience.