Las salas de cine en españaevolución histórica, arquitectura y situación actual
ISSN: 1889-3104
Year of publication: 2015
Issue Title: El patrimonio cultural del siglo XX, una riqueza en riesgo
Issue: 10
Pages: 97-110
Type: Article
More publications in: Patrimonio cultural de España
Abstract
Such was the development of cinema architecture in Spain during the course of the 20th Century that the country boasted one of the highest number of functioning movie theaters in Europe. Founded on travelling cinemas and music halls in the early part of the century, the Spanish cinema industry eventually saw the emergence of a wide variety of permanent facilities, among them the large halls of the 1950s and 60s. Those buildings adopted the latest architectural trends, chief among them Art Nouveau, Art Deco and modernism, with the aim to stand out in the urban landscape and ultimately to attract people to venture inside. This architectural heritage, which played a key role in the modernising of Spanish society and its cities, is now an integral part of 20th Century social history, a manifestation of what was the most popular form of mass entertainment at the time.