Théâtre de l'Alhambra, Historical theater in Meriadeck district, France
Théâtre de l'Alhambra is a theater building in Bordeaux whose limestone facade on rue d'Alzon survives, inscribed as a monument historique in 1984. The facade has three levels: a curved pediment carved with figures and the inscription "THEATRE ALHAMBRA", three round-arched bays with green blinds and a wrought-iron balcony, and a ground floor with a tall glazed entrance. The rest of the building was demolished in the 1990s and replaced by a residence.
The building underwent renovation by architect Jean Tournier in 1908, incorporating modern facilities that reflected the architectural advances of that era. It briefly served as the seat of the French Chamber of Deputies when the parliament relocated during World War I.
The theatre's name comes from the Alhambra, the Moorish palace of Granada, a reference common to 19th-century cafés-concerts. From 1892 to 1902 the building was rented to the Assumptionists. Its programme mixed revues, operettas, comedies, concerts and even boxing and wrestling championships.
Only the limestone facade on rue d'Alzon survives; the theater itself was demolished and replaced by a residential building from 1990. The facade is inscribed as a Monument Historique since 28 December 1984 and can be seen from the street, near the Mériadeck district. Look for the carved mascarons and the name still legible at the top.
During the September–December 1914 government relocation to Bordeaux, the Chamber of Deputies sat inside the Alhambra. L'Intransigeant of 19 September 1914 reported deputies navigating crates and baskets while workers built a tribune on stage resembling a wine merchant's counter, plus a platform for the president's and secretaries' desks.
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