Teatro General San Martín, Municipal theatre in San Nicolás district, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Teatro General San Martín is a theater building in downtown Buenos Aires that spans thirteen stories and covers 30,000 square meters. It houses three performance stages, exhibition halls, and a cinema all within its structure.
The theater project originated in 1908 through Socialist Congressman Alfredo Palacios and was realized when it opened on May 25, 1960. Its construction marked a milestone for the city's cultural infrastructure.
The theater's name honors General José de San Martín, adopted in 1950 for the centennial of his death. The Martín Coronado Hall is named for playwright Martín Coronado, a pioneer of Argentine drama, and the Casacuberta Salon for Juan José de los Santos Casacuberta, a leading nineteenth-century Argentine actor. The hall's lobby holds Luis Seoane's 1960 mural "The Birth of the Argentine Theater," 35 by 11 meters.
The building occupies a full block between Corrientes and Sarmiento avenues, with the main entrance on Corrientes. A wide marquee held by tension rods from the facade shelters the sidewalk, and its granite-tiled top was designed so films could be shot from there. The Alfredo Alcón hall leads to an upper level used for exhibitions, and a ramp-like passage since 1985 serves as a photo gallery linking to the Centro Cultural San Martín's sculpture patio on Sarmiento.
The 1972 Candidates final between Bobby Fischer and Tigran Petrosian, played in the Martín Coronado hall, decided who would face Boris Spassky for the world title; Fischer won the match and then the championship.
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