Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Cultural center and movie theater in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil is a multi-story building at Rua Primeiro de Março 66 that houses exhibition halls, a cinema, a theater, a library, a video archive, and a historical archive under a single neoclassical roof. The facade displays marble, columns, and a rotunda dome, while the interior offers numerous galleries and event spaces.
The Commercial Association commissioned the building in 1906 before it became the main branch of the state bank, a function it held until 1960. After the bank relocated, the conversion into a center for exhibitions, cinema, and performing arts began in 1989.
The name recalls the former banking institution that owned and operated the complex, which now welcomes thousands of visitors to theater productions, concerts, and film screenings. The wide range of programming reflects the aim to be an open house for different art forms, appealing to all age groups and social backgrounds.
The entrance is located on Rua Primeiro de Março in downtown Rio de Janeiro, just a few blocks from Praça XV. Inside, orientation signs help locate the cinema, theater, exhibition rooms, library, and museum spread across multiple floors.
In 2014, The Art Newspaper ranked this building as the most visited cultural venue in Brazil and 21st worldwide. The ranking was based on counting visitors who came for exhibitions, screenings, and other programs, showing the popularity of the site among locals and tourists.
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