Centro Cultural João Nogueira

The Centro Cultural João Nogueira, also known as Imperator, is a public cultural center located in the Méier neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro's North Zone. It is named in honor of João Nogueira, a singer and composer born and raised in Méier, a member of Portela's composers' wing and founder of the Clube do Samba block. The center was inaugurated on June 12, 2012, by the City of Rio de Janeiro after two years of renovations of the former Imperator performance house, which had closed in 1996. It remained under the administration of the City under an agreement with the State Government of Rio de Janeiro — owner of the land — until the end of 2020. Today, linked to the State Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy of Rio de Janeiro, it houses a theater with capacity for 751 seated people and 1,300 standing, three cinema rooms maintained by Grupo Severiano Ribeiro named Cine Carioca Méier, an exhibition room, a bistro, and a 1,200-square-meter green terrace. The history of the site dates back to 1954, when the Cine Imperator opened with 2,400 seats, considered the largest cinema in Latin America. It marked a generation of spectators eager to watch Atlântida Cinematográfica's chanchadas and American films starring James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley. The cinema's entrance was a meeting point for rebellious youth. Until the early 1980s, it had a generous audience, with long lines in the access gallery. National films such as "Os Trapalhões" and "Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos" and foreign films like "E.T." and "Jaws" attracted a legion of cinephiles. With the rise of large shopping centers, it entered a phase of decline, and the emptying of audiences resulted in significant losses, forcing it to close in 1986. In 1991, the venue reopened as a performance house, preserving its name. The opening show was with American singer Shirley MacLaine. Other international stars performed there: Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Stevie B, Paul Simon, Information Society, and Beastie Boys. National artists also graced the stage: Tom Jobim, Ney Matogrosso, Raphael Rabello, Daniela Mercury, Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, Mastruz com Leite, Engenheiros do Hawaii, Gal Costa, Mara Maravilha, Xuxa, Tim Maia, Lulu Santos, Barão Vermelho, and Fafá de Belém, as well as gospel names such as Catedral and Marina de Oliveira. During this period, its importance in the city's cultural life was such that residents of Rio's South Zone would cross the Rebouças Tunnel to attend shows produced by the house. In 1995, it closed again, raising fears it would become an evangelical church. The following year, however, it reopened with a Roberto Carlos show, but profitability remained elusive, and it closed again. In 2002, then-governor Anthony Garotinho ordered the expropriation of the site, promising a cultural center with cinema, theater, and cyber café, but the promise was not fulfilled during his term. His successor, Rosinha Garotinho, signed a decree transforming the space into the Centro Cultural Casa de Samba, which would include spaces for samba, cinema groups, music, and a circus school, as well as a library and stage for CD launch shows. In 2009, state culture secretary Luiz Paulo Conde promised to analyze the viability of the project. Shortly after, the state government ceded the land to the City of Rio de Janeiro, which began works in 2011 to transform the space into the Centro Cultural João Nogueira. Reinaugurated on June 12, 2012, with a show by Diogo Nogueira, João Nogueira's son, it consolidated within a year as the most important cultural facility in the North Zone and one of the main ones in the city. With just over a year of existence, it reached 1 million visitors and hosted more than 100 different attractions across various artistic segments such as theater, musicals, national and international shows, concerts, cinema, and exhibitions.

The history of the Centro Cultural João Nogueira begins with the Cine Imperator, which opened to the public in 1954 with 2,400 seats, considered the largest cinema in Latin America. It marked a generation of spectators eager to watch Atlântida Cinematográfica's chanchadas and American films starring James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley. The cinema's entrance was a meeting point for rebellious youth; the sidewalk in front was crowded with scooters and young people. Until the early 1980s, it had a generous audience, with long lines in the access gallery. National films such as "Os Trapalhões" and "Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos" and foreign films like "E.T." and "Jaws" attracted a legion of cinephiles. With the rise of large shopping centers, it entered a phase of decline, and the emptying of audiences resulted in significant losses, forcing it to close in 1986. In 1991, the venue reopened as a performance house, preserving its name. The opening show was with American singer Shirley MacLaine. Other international stars performed there: Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Stevie B, Paul Simon, Information Society, and Beastie Boys. National artists also graced the stage: Tom Jobim, Ney Matogrosso, Raphael Rabello, Daniela Mercury, Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, Mastruz com Leite, Engenheiros do Hawaii, Gal Costa, Mara Maravilha, Xuxa, Tim Maia, Lulu Santos, Barão Vermelho, and Fafá de Belém, as well as gospel names such as Catedral and Marina de Oliveira. During this period, its importance in the city's cultural life was such that residents of Rio's South Zone would cross the Rebouças Tunnel to attend shows produced by the house. In 1995, it closed again, raising fears it would become an evangelical church, as happened with many other cinemas in Rio. The following year, however, it reopened with a Roberto Carlos show; the more than two thousand tickets sold out quickly. This, however, was not enough to overcome new signs of loss. The house began to give space to matinees led by DJs from the funk carioca scene. With profitability increasingly scarce, it closed its doors again. In 2002, then-governor Anthony Garotinho ordered the expropriation of the site, promising a cultural center with cinema, theater, and cyber café. However, he could not fulfill the promise during his term. Abandoning the project made in her husband's government, former governor Rosinha Garotinho signed a decree ordering the transformation of the space into the Centro Cultural Casa de Samba, which would include spaces for samba, cinema groups, music, and a circus school. Rosinha's decree also provided for a library, a stage for CD launch shows, and concerts. In 2009, state culture secretary Luiz Paulo Conde of the Sérgio Cabral Filho government promised to analyze the viability of rehabilitating the project proposed in the Garotinho government. Shortly after, the state government ceded the land to the City of Rio de Janeiro, which began in 2011 the works to transform the space into the Centro Cultural João Nogueira. The name of the space would honor the singer and composer João Nogueira, born and raised in Méier. João was a member of Portela's composers' wing and founder of the Clube do Samba block, which helped revitalize Rio's street carnival. Reinaugurated on June 12, 2012, with a show by Diogo Nogueira, João Nogueira's son, it consolidated within a year as the most important cultural facility in the North Zone and one of the main ones in the city. With just over a year of existence, it reached 1 million visitors and hosted more than 100 different attractions across various artistic segments such as theater, musicals, national and international shows, concerts, cinema, and exhibitions. Through the "Outra Cena" project, it expanded its activities to include training and artistic thought through courses, workshops, and lectures. It remained under the administration of the City under an agreement with the State Government of Rio de Janeiro — owner of the land — until the end of 2020. Today, linked to the State Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy of Rio de Janeiro, it houses a theater with capacity for 751 seated people and 1,300 standing, three cinema rooms maintained by Grupo Severiano Ribeiro named Cine Carioca Méier, an exhibition room, a bistro, and a 1,200-square-meter green terrace.

• 2020

  City administration ends; center becomes linked to the State Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy.

• 2013

  Reaches 1 million visitors and hosts over 100 attractions within a year.

• 2012

  Inaugurated on June 12 with a show by Diogo Nogueira.

• 2011

  Works begin to transform the space into Centro Cultural João Nogueira.

• 2009

  State government cedes land to the City of Rio de Janeiro.

• 2002

  Governor Anthony Garotinho orders expropriation, promising a cultural center.

• 1996

  Reopens with a Roberto Carlos show, but closes again due to losses.

• 1995

  Closes again, raising fears it would become an evangelical church.

• 1991

  Reopens as a performance house named Imperator, with a show by Shirley MacLaine.

• 1986

  Cine Imperator closes due to decline and losses.

• 1954

  Cine Imperator opens with 2,400 seats, considered the largest cinema in Latin America.

Public cultural center and historic entertainment venue in Rio de Janeiro's North Zone.

• Theater with 751 seats

• Cine Carioca Méier (three cinema rooms)

• Exhibition room

• Bistro

• Green terrace of 1,200 m²

1. 1Centro Cultural João Nogueira - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Centro Cultural João Nogueira - Wikipedia (Portuguese)pt.wikipedia.org