Solis Theatre, Opera house in Ciudad Vieja, Montevideo, Uruguay
The Solis Theatre is a theatre building in the Ciudad Vieja neighborhood of Montevideo, Uruguay, dating from the mid-19th century and showing neoclassical facades with tall columns. The main hall takes an elliptical form and holds roughly 1900 visitors across several levels.
Citizens of Montevideo pushed for a dedicated theatre from 1833, until Italian architect Carlo Zucchi delivered the design and the building opened on August 25, 1856. Major renovations between 1998 and 2004 brought modern acoustics to the historic hall.
The theatre takes its name from Spanish explorer Juan Díaz de Solís, who reached the Río de la Plata in the 16th century. Opera and ballet performances fill the hall today, where multiple tiers curve in a horseshoe around the stage.
Visitors reach the theatre on foot in the oldest part of the city, where several streets meet at the facade. Tours take place during the day, while performances usually begin in the evening and open the cloakroom and foyer.
The French acoustic consultant Avel used special materials during renovation to spread sound evenly across all tiers. Craftsmen also restored the ceiling paintings originally created by Italian artists in the 19th century.
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