Chinateatern, Theater in Norrmalm, Stockholm, Sweden
Chinateatern is a private theatre beside Berzelii Park in Norrmalm, Stockholm, built 1927–1928 to Albin Stark's design. Its pale beige facade has rows of rectangular windows, a curved glass and metal roof pavilion set back at the top, and a stone relief with Chinese characters above the entrance, where a red "CHINA" inscription and a yellow "Sol, vind & vatten" sign are mounted.
Carl Zetterberg, a builder, agreed with Charles Magnusson of Svensk Filmindustri to erect a large cinema at Berzelii Park. Architect Albin Stark, who had worked in China, gave it a China-inspired form adapted to 1920s classicism. The building went up in 1927–1928 and opened on 19 October 1928 with Greta Garbo's silent film Anna Karenina. Ernst Rolf staged summer revues from 1929, and the house later served as a cinema until 1980.
The name China comes from the Chinese-inspired design Albin Stark gave the building after his years in China. A stone tablet above the entrance carries Chinese characters meaning "The House of Perfect Seeing". Summer revues began in 1929 with Ernst Rolf, and the Royal Dramatic Theatre has also used the stage.
The theatre stands by Berzelii Park, next to Berns Salonger, and an underground passage links the two buildings. The nearest metro stop is Kungsträdgården, about 200 metres away. The main entrance is on the Hamngatan side, under the canopy with the yellow globe sign.
An underground passage connects this building directly to the Berns establishment next door, allowing visitors to move between both spaces without stepping outside. This hidden link makes it possible to experience both venues in one evening.
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