Sala Zitarrosa

Sala Zitarrosa is a cultural venue in central Montevideo, Uruguay, dedicated principally to national music while also presenting theatre, film screenings and other cultural activities. It occupies the ground floor of the historic Rex Building on 18 de Julio Avenue, opposite Plaza Fabini, and takes its name from Alfredo Zitarrosa, one of Uruguay’s best-known singer-songwriters. The venue is therefore both an operating arts institution and a memorial expression of Uruguay’s popular-music tradition. The site has a longer history as an entertainment venue. The Rex Building was designed by architect Alfredo Jones Brown in an eclectic historicist style incorporating modernist elements. When the building was completed, its ground floor housed the Cine Rex Theatre, operated by the company of Max Glücksmann. The cinema became one of Montevideo’s prominent early film venues and was among the first in Uruguay to screen sound films. At its height, the Cine Rex was regarded as one of the city’s more luxurious cinemas, with seating for approximately 850 people and a large stained-glass window that brought natural light to the upper part of the building. The cinema’s fortunes declined during the 1980s. In 1997, the Intendancy of Montevideo acquired the building and initiated a restoration process intended to return the site to cultural use. Architect Conrado Pintos won the restoration competition. The work lasted approximately 18 months and followed a conservation approach: original materials were retained wherever possible, while damaged or unsuitable elements were replaced with contemporary materials designed to remain visually compatible with the historic structure. Eneida de León was also involved in the project; she later served as Uruguay’s minister of housing. The restored Sala Zitarrosa opened on 3 November 1999 as a cultural centre focused on national music. Its programme subsequently encompassed concerts, theatrical productions, film presentations and a range of other artistic and community events. The venue’s identity combines a central location, a historically significant architectural setting and an emphasis on Uruguayan cultural production rather than a single commercial entertainment format. The hall preserves prominent features of the former Rex complex. Its façade is marked by a large pointed arch and a stained-glass composition depicting the god Pan calling his flock with a flute. The original marquee was replaced by a glass-and-black-metal canopy supported by tension rods, while digital screens and programme displays identify current events. Inside, the foyer retains 1920s-era mouldings and marble alongside modern technical equipment. The main auditorium has 531 seats, divided between 391 seats in the stalls and 140 in the gallery. Its high ceiling, geometric mouldings, pilasters and framed wall panels complement a raised rectangular stage. Sala Zitarrosa’s role is consequently broader than that of a conventional concert venue. It functions as a public-facing cultural facility, a performance space and a restored architectural landmark. Its programming links Uruguay’s musical heritage with contemporary live performance, cinema and theatre, while its name and institutional purpose maintain a direct connection to Alfredo Zitarrosa and the national culture associated with him.

Sala Zitarrosa occupies the ground floor of the Rex Building in downtown Montevideo. The building was designed by architect Alfredo Jones Brown in an eclectic historicist style with modernist features. Its ground floor originally contained the Cine Rex Theatre, operated by Max Glücksmann’s company. The cinema became an important entertainment venue in Montevideo and was among the early Uruguayan cinemas to present sound films. It was known for its luxurious presentation, an approximately 850-seat capacity and a prominent stained-glass window that illuminated the upper level. The Cine Rex site experienced decline during the 1980s as its original cinema function weakened. In 1997, the Intendancy of Montevideo acquired the building and organized a competition for its restoration and conversion into a cultural facility. Architect Conrado Pintos won the competition. The restoration took about 18 months and sought to conserve the historic character of the structure. Original materials were preserved wherever possible, with replacements introduced only when necessary and selected to maintain a coherent relationship between the old building and the new cultural use. Eneida de León participated in the project and later became Uruguay’s minister of housing. The restored venue was inaugurated on 3 November 1999 under the name Sala Zitarrosa, in tribute to singer-songwriter Alfredo Zitarrosa. It was established as a cultural centre dedicated to national music, but its activities have also included theatre, film screenings and varied cultural events. The institution thus combined the memory of a historic cinema with a new civic and artistic role centred on Uruguayan cultural expression. The venue remains integrated into the architectural fabric of the Rex Building. It is located on the south side of 18 de Julio Avenue, between Julio Herrera y Obes and Río Negro Streets, across from Plaza Fabini. The street façade features a pointed arch and a large stained-glass image of the god Pan playing a flute. A contemporary glass and black-metal canopy replaced the former cinema marquee, and programme screens flank the entrance. The foyer retains historic mouldings and marble from the 1920s while accommodating contemporary venue equipment. The auditorium has 531 seats, with 391 in the stalls and 140 in the gallery. Its high ceiling is divided into panels with geometric mouldings, and the side walls use pilasters and rectangular panels to organize the interior. The raised rectangular stage remains framed by the building’s architectural structure. Through this combination of conservation and adaptation, Sala Zitarrosa operates as a modern performance venue while retaining the identity of one of Montevideo’s historic entertainment sites.

• 1999

  Sala Zitarrosa opens

  [1]Sala Zitarrosaen.wikipedia.org

  Following approximately 18 months of restoration, the venue is inaugurated on 3 November as Sala Zitarrosa, a cultural centre dedicated to national music.

• 1997

  Montevideo acquires the building

  [1]Sala Zitarrosaen.wikipedia.org

  The Intendancy of Montevideo acquires the Rex Building and launches a restoration process for the former cinema site.

• 1980

  The former Cine Rex enters decline

  [1]Sala Zitarrosaen.wikipedia.org

  The Cine Rex site experiences a period of decline during the 1980s, preceding its later conversion into a cultural centre.

• 1920

  The Rex Building and cinema site are established

  [1]Sala Zitarrosaen.wikipedia.org

  The Rex Building, designed by Alfredo Jones Brown, is completed with the Cine Rex Theatre on the ground floor. The cinema later becomes one of Montevideo’s notable early venues for sound films.

A centrally located Uruguayan cultural institution that combines live music, theatre, film and public cultural programming within a restored historic cinema building.

• Concerts · 1999

  Live music programme

  The venue’s principal activity is the presentation of live music, especially programming connected with Uruguay’s national music culture. Concerts take place in the main auditorium, whose 531-seat configuration provides both stalls and gallery seating. The programme contributes to the institution’s identity as a venue named for Alfredo Zitarrosa and dedicated at its founding to national music.

• Performing arts · 1999

  Theatre productions

  Sala Zitarrosa also hosts theatrical productions and other stage performances. These uses extend the building’s function beyond music and make the auditorium available for scripted, dramatic and multidisciplinary work within a centrally located public cultural facility.

• Cinema · 1999

  Film screenings

  Film screenings continue the site’s historical relationship with cinema. The venue occupies the former Cine Rex location, a theatre associated with the early presentation of sound films in Uruguay, while the restored institution incorporates film among its broader cultural activities.

• Cultural programming · 1999

  Cultural events

  The institution presents varied cultural events in addition to concerts, theatre and cinema. This multidisciplinary role allows Sala Zitarrosa to function as an arts centre and civic cultural venue rather than as a single-purpose commercial auditorium.

• 1997

  Conversion of the former Cine Rex into a cultural centreStrategy

  Background

  After the former cinema site declined during the 1980s, the Intendancy of Montevideo acquired the Rex Building and initiated a restoration competition.

  Action taken

  The municipality selected architect Conrado Pintos’s restoration proposal and pursued a conservation-led conversion that retained historic materials while adding compatible contemporary elements.

  Aftermath

  The project produced the venue that opened as Sala Zitarrosa in 1999, preserving the site as a public cultural facility.

  Source

1. 1Sala Zitarrosaen.wikipedia.org