Theatres are some of the most beautiful edifices in the world. It’s only fitting that buildings which promote the theatrical art are considered as works of art themselves by numerous architects and artists. Here are some of the most beautiful theatres on the planet.
Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres
Located in the Canadian city of Toronto, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres are the last surviving Edwardian stacked theatres in the world. Stacked theatres comprise of two performance venues which are located one above another. In this case the Winter Garden Theatre is situated seven storeys above the Elgin Theatre. The edifice that houses both venues was built in 1913 and was designed by prominent Scottish-born American architected Thomas White Lamb. Both theatres showed short silent movies and vaudeville acts and were intended to compete in different markets. In 1982, the theatres were recognised as a National Historic Site of Canada by the Canadian authorities. In the late 1980s, both venues were the subject of a major renovation. In 1994, Elgin Theatre was chosen to host the world premier of the Napoleon musical by Andrew Sabiston and Timothy William.
Teatro Amazonas
This amazing theatre is situated in the city of Manaus in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The venue hosts the annual Amazonas Opera Festival which one of the most visited musical events in South America. The construction of the building started in 1884 and ended twelve years later in 1896. Celestial Sacardim was the architect responsible for the edifice’s design. At the moment the venue has a capacity of 701 seats and is listed as a National Historic Site of Brazil.
Margravial Opera House
Recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and built in the Baroque architectural style during the mid-18th century, this phenomenal edifice lays in the German city of Bayreuth. It is one of the few surviving theatres in Europe that dates back to that particular period. The building was designed by renowned French architect Joseph Saint-Pierre, who was the court builder of the Hohenzollern margrave Frederick of Brandenburg-Bayreuth and his wife Princess Wilhelmina of Prussia. The wooden interior of the venue was brought from Bologna and was created by the reputed Italian designer Giuseppe Galli Bibiena and his son. The original box theatre has been preserved to this day. The only missing feature of the box is the curtain which was taken by Napoleon’s troop during their Russian campaign of 1812. Since 2012, the theatre has been closed due to an extensive redevelopment project which is expected to last for numerous years.
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier is one of Paris’s most notable landmarks and is considered by many to be the most beautiful performance arts venue in the world. Built from 1861 to 1875, it was originally called Salle des Capucines due to its location on the Boulevard des Capucines. Soon after it was renamed to its current name which commemorates its creator, French architect Charles Garnier. The theatre has a capacity of 1.979 seats and until 1989 was also used by the Paris Opera. Today, it stages mainly ballet performances.
The Theatre Royal, St. Helens
St. Helens is one of the most reputed boroughs in Merseyside, England and people move to it on a constant basis. This ultimately keeps all man and van companies in St. Helens busy. One of the main reasons behind the area’s popularity is its amazing architecture which included the Theatre Royal. The original venue was opened in 1889 but suffered severe fire damage in 1901 and had to be closed. Soon after, prolific English theatrical architect Frank Matcham reconstructed the theatre in the Baroque style with opulently ornate balconies, boxes and chandeliers. During the 1960s, the Pilkingtons, one of St. Helens’ most powerful families purchased the building, gutted its interiors and replaced its original frontage with a plain glass façade. In 2001, the Theatre Royal was once again the subject of a major reconstruction project. Today, the venue is one of the area’s most popular theatres and often stages touring and pantomime acts.
Balboa Theatre
Balboa Theatre is one of San Diego’s most emblematic buildings and performance venues. Built during the mid-1920s, the theatre was a grand movie and vaudeville palace with a capacity of 1.534 seats. In 1930, the venue was upgraded with better projection equipment and a neon signage and converted into a Spanish language theatre. In 1972, Balboa Theatre was recognised as a San Diego Historic Landmark but despite its status the local authorities decided to transform it into a commercial space by gutting its interior in 1973. The conversion was successfully stopped during the mid-1980s, thanks to a small group of advocates who formed the “Save Our Balboa” organisation. In 1996, the edifice was listed into the U.S National Register of Historic Places. In 2005, the San Diego governing body decided to restore the theatre and it finally reopened doors in 2008. Today, Balboa Theatre has a capacity of 1.339 seats and is once again one of the city’s top artistic venues.
Teatru Manoel
Regarded as Malta’s most importance performing arts venue, Teatru Manoel is located in the capital Valletta. The venue opened doors in 1732 and has been active since then. It is currently the third-oldest working theatre in Europe and the oldest still functioning performance venue in the Commonwealth of Nations. Since its foundation it has been named a total of three times:
§ Teatro Pubblico (Public Theatre) from 1732 to 1800
§ Teatro Reale (Royal Theatre) from 1800–1866
Teatru Manoel (Manoel Theatre) from 1866 to present day
National Noh Theatre
This theatre is relatively new in comparison with the other venues from the article as it was opened in 1983. It lays in the capital of Japan, Tokyo and was designed by highly acclaimed Japanese architect Hiroshi Ōe. The venue has a capacity of 591 seats and stages Noh (classical Japanese music drama) and Kyōgen (traditional Japanese comic theatre) acts. It also has a rehearsal stage, library, lecture room and exhibition area.