Teatro Colón Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Columbus Theatre
Teatro Colón

Main façade of Teatro Colón
General information
Type	Theatre
Architectural style	Eclectic
Location	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Address	Tucumán 1171, C1049 CABA
Construction started	1889
Completed	1908
Opened	1908; 117 years ago (1908)
Height	28 metres
Dimensions
Diameter	58 metres
Technical details
Structural system	Concrete
Design and construction
Architect	Francesco Tamburini Julio Dormal Vittorio Meano
Other information
Seating capacity	2,478

The Teatro Colón (which means Columbus Theatre in English) is a very old and famous opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Many people think it's one of the best opera houses in the world. National Geographic even calls it one of the top ten! Experts say its main hall has amazing sound, making it perfect for opera and concerts.

The Teatro Colón you see today replaced an older theatre. That first theatre opened way back in 1857. But as the city grew, people realized they needed a bigger and better theatre. So, after about 20 years of work, the current Teatro Colón opened its doors on May 25, 1908. The very first show was a famous opera called Aïda by Giuseppe Verdi.

Over the years, the Teatro Colón welcomed the most famous singers and opera groups from all over the world. Sometimes, these performers would also visit other cities like Montevideo or Rio de Janeiro. After many years of being a huge success, the theatre needed some repairs. It was closed for a big renovation from October 2006 to May 2010. It reopened on May 24, 2010, ready for new shows!

A Look Back in Time
- The First Teatro Colón
The Amazing New Building
Images for kids
See also

A Look Back in Time

The first Teatro Colón (left) in 1864.

The Teatro Colón has actually been in two different buildings. The first one was in Plaza de Mayo and was used until 1888. The second, and current, building is across from Plaza Lavalle. It took 20 years to build this amazing theatre! Before it was built, the land was home to the Park Station, which was Argentina's very first railway station.

The first theatre in 1881, photo by Alexander Witcomb.

Throughout its long history, many of the world's greatest performers have graced the stage of the Teatro Colón. Famous opera singers, classical musicians, and ballet dancers have all performed here. Some of these legends include Maria Callas, Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Arturo Toscanini, Anna Pavlova, and Mikhail Barishnikov. Many talented Argentine artists have also performed, like Martha Argerich and Julio Bocca.

In the 1920s, the theatre created its own permanent groups of performers. In 1931, the city government took over its management. The theatre underwent a major restoration from 2006 to 2010. It reopened on May 24, 2010, just in time for Argentina's 200th birthday celebration!

The First Teatro Colón

The first Teatro Colón was designed by Charles Pellegrini. It was a popular place for over 30 years. It had 2,500 seats, including a special section for people who were in mourning. Construction began in 1856 and finished in 1857. The theatre opened on April 27, 1857, with Verdi's La traviata. This was only four years after the opera first premiered in Italy!

This first theatre closed on September 13, 1888. It made way for the new, improved building, which opened 20 years later on Libertad Street. Building the new theatre took a long time, partly because of money problems in the 1890s.

Before the current Teatro Colón, opera shows were held in several other theatres. The first Teatro Colón and the Teatro Opera were the most important. When the new Teatro Colón opened in 1908, the main opera company from the Teatro Opera moved there.

The Amazing New Building

Side view of the theatre.

What Makes It Special

The theatre is located in the heart of Buenos Aires. It's surrounded by 9 de Julio Avenue, Libertad Street (where the main entrance is), Arturo Toscanini Street, and Tucumán Street. It sits on land that used to be a train station.

The main seating area, called the auditorium, is shaped like a horseshoe. It has 2,487 seats, which is more than the Royal Opera House in London! There's also standing room for 1,000 people. The stage is huge: 20 meters wide, 15 meters high, and 20 meters deep. The building has six floors above ground and three below. It also has seven elevators. A giant chandelier with 700 light bulbs hangs in the center of the main hall.

The first architect was Italian Francesco Tamburini. After he passed away, the Belgian architect Julio Dormal finished the building. The theatre's sound quality is considered one of the best in the world. Famous singer Luciano Pavarotti also thought the acoustics were incredible.

Opening and History

A gala premiere in 1935.

The Salón Dorado (Golden Room).

The current Teatro Colón opened on May 25, 1908. It took 20 years to build! The opening night featured Aida by an Italian opera company. The second show was Hamlet. During that first season, 17 different operas were performed with many famous singers.

The first stone for the new theatre was laid in 1889. Architects Francesco Tamburini and Vittorio Meano designed it to be like the grand theatres in Europe. But there were many delays. Money problems, arguments about where to build it, and the deaths of Tamburini, Meano, and a businessman named Angelo Ferrari all slowed things down. Finally, Julio Dormal finished the building in 1908. He added some French-style decorations.

The theatre's opening on May 25 is special because it's Argentina's Día de la Patria (Homeland Day). The performance of Aida quickly made the Teatro Colón famous worldwide. It became a rival to other great opera houses like La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. It attracted the best opera singers and conductors from around the globe.

Concert hall and stage.

Ballet stars also performed at the Colón, alongside talented Argentine dancers. The tragic death of two famous dancers, Norma Fontenla and José Neglia, in a plane crash in 1971 is remembered with a monument nearby.

The theatre's inside is decorated in rich red and gold colors. The ceiling of the main hall has a beautiful painting. It was created in 1966 by the artist Raúl Soldi during a renovation.

Concert hall and stage ceiling detail with allegorical frescoes painted by Raúl Soldi.

Big Renovation: 2005 – 2010

In recent years, the Teatro Colón needed a lot of work. A big renovation project started in 2005. At first, the theatre stayed open while work was done. But then, all shows stopped at the end of 2006 so the whole building could be fixed up.

What was planned as a quick 18-month project turned into a three-year effort. It involved 1,500 workers, including 130 architects and engineers! About 60,000 square meters of the theatre were updated, both inside and out.

Some of the last shows before the theatre closed for the big renovation included Swan Lake and the opera Boris Godunov. The very last performance before the closure was a concert by the famous folk singer Mercedes Sosa on November 1, 2005.

The theatre was supposed to reopen for its 100th birthday in May 2008, but there were delays. It finally reopened with a special gala concert on May 24, 2010. This was just before its 102nd birthday and Argentina's 200th anniversary! The reopening featured parts of Swan Lake and La bohème. On September 6, 2013, the Teatro Colón hosted the opening ceremony for a big meeting of the International Olympic Committee.