Cine San Carlos, Movie theater in Madrid, Spain

Cine San Carlos was a cinema at Calle de Atocha 131, on a trapezoidal plot between Atocha and Cenicero, built in 1928–1929 by architect Eduardo Lozano Lardet as a combined cinema and apartment building. Its chamfered facade mixes Art Deco and Streamline Moderne, with a corner tower designed as a night beacon. The interior decorations were by Portuguese artist José de Almada Negreiros.

Architect Eduardo Lozano Lardet designed this building, which opened in 1929 when cinema was becoming a major form of entertainment. It was built during a period when motion pictures were changing how Madrid spent its leisure time.

For decades, this place served as a gathering spot where film enthusiasts experienced stories on the big screen together. Its shift to nightlife reflects how Madrid's entertainment habits evolved across generations.

The building stands at Calle de Atocha 131, almost at the end of the street before Plaza del Emperador Carlos V, on a trapezoidal plot bounded by Calle de Atocha and Calle del Cenicero. It no longer works as a cinema: the former screening room was converted into the multi-floor nightclub Kapital, so there are no film tickets to buy. Look up at the chamfered corner, where a small tower with bands of colour was designed as a night-time beacon.

The corner tower was designed as a nocturnal beacon for the city, with bands dividing its shaft. Portuguese artist José de Almada Negreiros made twelve panels between 1929 and 1930, eight on the facade and four in the hall, to mark the arrival of sound film; he did the same for the Cine Barceló.