Rehabilitation of the Armando Palacio Valdés theatre

Avilés, Asturias, Principado de Asturias.
Special mention / Diploma in the category Conservation / Conservation and adaptive reuse in the year 1992.

Dating of the building: 1916.

Applicant: Mariano Bayón Álvarez.

Reason for the award :

For the recovery of a theatre in a rundown state as an element of cultural revitalization.

  • © Andrea Menéndez
  • © Andrea Menéndez
  • © Ayuntamiento de Avilés
  • © Bayón Arquitectos
  • © Andrea Menéndez

Citizen mobilization was behind the salvation of the magnificent historical theatre of Aviles, an industrial city that could not afford to lose one of its principal cultural assets.

The ruin of the Armando Palacio Valdés theatre, constructed in 1916, was about to be demolished. This would have been critical for Avilés, a city closely linked to heavy industry and little known for its cultural activity. So, as on other occasions, it was the citizen mobilization that got the City Council to proceed with its purchase and subsequent restoration. The state of the theatre at that time was dilapidated, with part of the theatrical premises reduced to rubble, and most of the decorative elements looted over the years. For this reason, its careful and rigorous restoration involved the reconstruction of the backstage and stage, the ticket offices, main entrance, and canopies. At the forefront of the project was the architect Mariano Bayón, closely linked to the Europa Nostra awards.

Others awards in Principado de Asturias: