The cinemas in the modern scenery of Portuguese architecture of the first half of the 20th century: some samples in comparison

Abstract

Real cultural phenomenon of the twentieth century, in the architectural world the cinema has always been the symbol of modernity and technological progress. In the history of modern architecture, the design of the cinema goes hand in hand with the experimentation of new architectural forms made possible by the use of modern building materials (such as reinforced concrete), becoming an excellent test both for technological verification of the same as for the space imagination of new environments, so divergent from those of the theatres. Architectural space usable and functional for the human life, the cinema quickly becomes expression of growth, of social and economic development and urban prestige. Even in Portugal, as in the rest of Europe, the cinemas are tangible signs of the stylistic and formal change of the architecture of the first half of the twentieth century, becoming “spokesman” of a new modern image that will quickly adorn Portuguese cities with a scenic look.