Theatres of Brazil

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   The Amazonas Theatre
   Neoclassical Style
   (1884 - 1896) Manaus, AM

esigned in the age of eclecticism, the Amazonas Theatre, transitional in style, outwardly preserves many of the aesthetic values of the neoclassical theatres - simple, volumetric, shapes, cleanly articulated - several loggias joined to the main building, and a classical architectural language discreetly employed. The body of the building brings together under an immense four-sided roof, the Theatre´s three basic parts: vestibule and foyer, hall, and stage.
To contrast with the sobriety of this design, above the roof rises a shapely dome, surprisingly decorated in colors almost all taken from Brazil´s national flag. Misunderstood at the time, the dome excited furious criticism, since it altered and interfered with the austere architectural pattern required. It is substantially symbolic, having the same purpose as the dome of the Paris opera - to show from the outside the exact position occupied by the hall within.
Decoration of the Theatre was directed by the scenographer Crispim do Amaral, who brought a number of European artists to produce the panels and paintings which today form one of the richest collections of the sort in Brazil.

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Theatres in the Historical Center of Rio