Cinema Impero, Art Deco movie theater in downtown Asmara, Eritrea
Cinema Impero is a movie theater in downtown Asmara with a white modernist facade on Harnet Avenue. The building features forty-five circular lights and vertically arranged illuminated letters that emphasize its geometric design.
The theater opened in 1937 during Italian colonial rule and became a key example of architectural development in East Africa. The building shaped the city skyline throughout the 20th century.
The theater maintains its original seating configuration with separate sections for balcony and main floor, reflecting social distinctions of the colonial era.
The venue screens films using digital projection while keeping many original interior architectural details from the 1930s intact. Visitors should arrive early to fully appreciate the modernist interior and original fixtures.
The entrance doors have large metal semi-circular handles that merge to form complete circles when closed. This detail shows the precise geometric design that defines the building's rationalist architecture.
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