Cine-Teatro Capitólio, Valmor Prize 2016

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The Cine-Teatro Capitólio is the landmark of Parque Mayer - Lisbon’s most popular revue and variéte district along Avenida da Liberdade.

The building was designed by Luís Cristino da Silva in 1929 and inaugurated in 1931.
After its closure in 1980, the building went in decay, having been inscribed in the World Monuments Watch List in 2006.
In November 2016, the Capitólio finally reopened to the public with a renovation project by the architect Alberto Souza Oliveira.

The Parque Mayer was built on the former gardens of an eclectic town palace, awarded with the first Valmor Prize in 1902 and whose owner was Adolfo de Lima Mayer. Its foundation dates back to the 1930’s, with the construction of several Art Deco and modernist buildings. 
The Capitólio occupies the central area of Parque Mayer and was the first modernist Portuguese work, integrating the most innovative concepts, functionalities and technologies (José Manuel Fernandes, in Três Modernistas – arquitectura do modernismo em Portugal: uma síntese e alguns autores).

The renovation project by Alberto Souza Oliveira recovers the original features of the building, removing built additions from more recent decades and recovering the floor-to-ceiling windows in the auditorium. 
The architect added to the building a back façade covered by interactive LED panels which opens up to the exterior. The project upgraded the building's functionalities, with an up-to-date auditorium, facilities and technologies. The Capitólio was finally returned to Lisbon and it is a must visit.

Original project: architect Luís Cristino da Silva / 1929-31

Renovation project: architect Alberto Souza Oliveira / 2008-16, awarded with the Valmor Prize and the Municipal Prize of Architecture 2016

Post and Photo credits: Lisboa Architecture Walks & Trips


Location: Lisboa, Portugal

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