Friday, March 30, 2012

Teatro Colon - Buenos Aires, Argentina

I'm living in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a few months and thought I'd share some of its interesting Architecture and Design. I visited Teatro Colon for a performance and a tour recently.

Teatro Colon was completed in 1908 and was the largest opera house in the Southern Hemisphere until the Sydney Opera House opened. It seats 2,500 and has standing room for 1,000. Three different architects worked on the theatre, and it is an eclectic mix of architectural styles. It is said to have the 3rd best acoustics in the world. The opera house was completely renovated and reopened in 2010.

View of Teatro Colon across Avenida 9 de Julio
Main entrance hall
Entrance hall dome
Grand staircase
Entrance hall from the 2nd floor
Salon Dorado (Golden Room)
Salon Dorado ceiling (the dark holes are air conditioning vents added during the renovation)
Salon Dorado - the dark rectangular patch shows the color of the walls before restoration.

The stage is set up for an orchestra performance

The next photos were taken before a performance of the opera La Pasion Segun San Marcos - a modern Argentine opera.

The view from our seats in the 5th tier of the balconies - la tertulia