Teatro Capitolio

The 2006 Watch listing of this 1920s theater drew international attention and helped save the building from destruction. Local activist Fernando Jorge noted that "the theater's inclusion on the 100 Most Endangered Sites list played an instrumental role in reversing a proposed plan to demolish it and redevelop the site." A venue for theater, music, and cinema, the theater was designed by Luis Cristino da Silva (1896-1976) in collaboration with engineer José Belard da Fonseca (1899-1969). When it opened to the public in 1931, it featured numerous design and technical innovations, including a naturally lit performance hall and a roof terrace for outdoor film screenings accessed by moving ramps. Over the years, the exterior of the theater was modified and was no longer in keeping with the original design-a new roof was built on top of the terrace and the large glass windows that lined the performance hall were covered. The theater was closed in the 1980s and slowly deteriorated; water damage accelerated the decay of the exterior materials. In 1983, the theater was listed as a "Building of Public Interest," and a 1991 inventory of modern architecture in Lisbon classified it as a "work of great quality." In 1996, a "Special Protection Zone" was established. In 2003, the City Council announced plans to demolish the theater and construct a new performing arts center; this project was later abandoned. In response to the threat, Citizens for Capitolio, a nonprofit advocacy group, formed to encourage restoring and reopening the theater. The group hopes that the restoration of the theater will be a model for other endangered works of modern architecture in Portugal. More on Modernism at Risk.