Cine Monumental, Art Deco movie theater in Lavalle street, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Cine Monumental is an Art Deco building on Lavalle Street that combines office space with cinema facilities across seven stories and square corner towers. The structure features stacked seating sections arranged for optimal viewing and maintains the architectural details typical of 1930s urban design.

The Cine-Teatro Monumental opened on 23 October 1931, promoted by the businessmen Coll and Di Fiore, and was soon nicknamed "the Cathedral of Argentine Cinema" for its support of national film production. During the Second World War, when films could not be imported from other continents, its stage hosted radio-theatre and theatre companies including those of Florencio Parravicini, Olinda Bozán, Enrique Santos Discépolo and Luisa Vehil. The single 1,800-seat hall was modernised in 1972, split in 1994 into an upper level of 1,000 seats and smaller rooms, and given a 480-seat basement hall in 1996. It closed in 2000 and reopened on 11 June 2001 after remodelling by Norberto Feldman, owner of the Cine Electric; a 2006 renovation divided the main hall into three smaller screens.

The venue earned the nickname "Cathedral of Argentine Cinema" for the weight it gave to the country's early national productions. During World War II, when films could not be imported from other continents, its stage hosted radio drama and theatre, with companies led by Florencio Parravicini, Olinda Bozán, Enrique Santos Discépolo and Luisa Vehil.

The theater sits at the intersection of Lavalle and Esmeralda streets in downtown Buenos Aires, making it accessible by foot from nearby transit hubs. Plan ahead to check current showtimes and availability before visiting.

The building's seven-story office structure above the cinema was an unusual design that helped fund the theater's operations over many decades. This practical approach to combining commercial space with entertainment allowed the venue to survive economic challenges.