Magnificence In Madrid!

   Right in the middle of the city I now call home is a magnificent example of what can happen to a grand old palace of entertainment that the city lost to cinema many years ago. The Spanish bank giant, Caja Madrid, has undertaken to open this great bulding as a place of live entertainment for Madrid.... a bit like what I keep going on about with my hopes for the Albert Hall!                                        

  I walk past here almost every day and to see it now entering its final days of restoration, inside and out, only just makes my feelings stonger as to what Swansea could have.

Hey! 'The Albert Hall Palace Of Music'! I like the sound of that!

  The Cine Palacio de la Musica, The Cinema of the Palace of Music, was built between 1924 and 1926 in a blend of historic styles including Classical, Baroque and art deco. It was especially inspired by the Seville Baroque. The exterior columns were inspired by Italian garden and palace architecture. The entire building is a marvelous example of Spanish Moorish decoration. The Palacio de la Musica was built for the ‘Society de Autores General de Espana’ under that name and was renamed the Palacio de la Musica in 1928. 

It was designed by famous architect Secundino Zuazo Ugalde as a dual- purpose cine/concert hall with a community ballroom in the basement and a roof outdoor summer cinema.

On November 13, 1926, the Palacio de la Musica was opened by King Alphonso XIII.

There was an orchestra stage at the rear of the stage as at the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, USA and when films were shown, the screen was lowered just behind the proscenium at the front of the stage. It became a full time cinema in the mid-1950’s.

Originally as a single screen the seating capacity was 1,868 located in stalls and two balconies. Two smaller cinemas were build in the old basement ballroom. The main auditorium is intact today with 1,722 seats.

In March 2006 it was announced that the Cine Palacio de la Musica was to close and the interior would be converted into a shopping mall, fortunately this was not to be the fate of this historic venue.

The Cine Palacio de la Musica closed permanently as a cinema in June 2008. In 2010 major renovation work started to convert it into a major concert hall for Madrid. The complex will include a roof theatre with full bar and resturant facilities.                      

A grand opening is planned for Spring 2012. 

The beautiful Cine Avenida next door closed in 2007 and is now a H & M store but still has many fine details of its original self still visible.

Palace Of Music Madrid In its hey day as a 3 cinema complex. The two smaller cinemas were in the old basement ballroom.	Palace Of Music Madrid Its final days as a cinema and looking a little worse for ware. At this time its fate was almost sealed as a shopping mall!!!
Palace Of Music Madrid The main cinema just after closure and showing how badly in need of repair it was. Better days are close by.	Palace Of Music Madrid Reborn! The renovation almost complete and its on its way back to how it looked when it open almost 90 years ago.
Palace Of Music Madrid Smack in the middle of Madrid's famed Gran Via. A great view of the Palace with contractors lifting huge pieces of metal work for the rooftop theatre.	Palace Of Music Madrid REBORN!