The Coliseu do Porto is a theatre in Porto

Porto

Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...

, Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

. It is arguably one of the most relevant landmarks of Porto and a prestigious venue for music and cultural events. Together with Batalha Cinema, the Coliseu is a very good example of Portuguese Streamline Moderne

Streamline Moderne

Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...

 and Art Deco

Art Deco

Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...

 in the city of Porto. It was built after the historical Salão Jardim Passos Manuel, in the early years of the 20th century. The earliest sketches of the building are from the year 1911. However the building was only officially declared finished in 1941.

The, at the time, modern-looking building counted with the collaboration of a Dutch and several Portuguese architects. In 1939, however, Cassiano Branco takes the responsibility for the coordination of the whole project.

In the 1990s two important events marked the history of the venue. In 1995 the building was nearly sold to a Brazilian Church (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God

Universal Church of the Kingdom of God is a Pentecostal Christian organisation established in Brazil on July 9, 1977, with a presence in many countries...

). However, a mass demonstration of the people of Porto, promoted by several prominent members of the Portuguese and, especially, the city's cultural milieu and supported by Mayor Fernando Gomes and by the government sparked an intervention that prevented the deal to take place. The venue was handed over to a group of citizens that, still today, manages the Coliseu as a cultural venue. In 1996 a fire destroyed part of the venue, including the stage, the back-stage and part of the auditorium. Rebuilt over a very short period, it showed some limitations and the venue suffered new interventions in 1997 and 1998. It was officially reopened in November 1998, about two years after the fire, and has since then regained its role as one of Porto's most dynamic cultural spots.

Technical details

The main auditorium of Coliseu do Porto has a capacity for 3,500 people standing and 2.955 seated when we count the 1st and 2nd stalls, the dress circle, the boxes, upper circle and the reserved and general gallery. There is also a smaller room, called Ático Room, which has capacity for 300 people and, as such, is more suitable for smaller performances, conferences and symposia.

External links

• Coliseu do Porto – Tech Area, website with technical data (some functions require registration)