Teatro Victoria Eugenia: monumental character and tons of history at the service of culture
Teatro Victoria Eugenia: monumental character and tons of history at the service of culture
Located in the most central area of the city, the Victoria Eugenia Theater, inaugurated in 1912, is one of the most emblematic buildings in San Sebastián. This monumental building is in eclectic neo-plateresque style, which was very popular at the time it was built. When designing the project, architect Francisco Urcola took into account the international experiences of the latest theaters built in Paris and Vienna.
Between 2001 and 2007, the building was completely renovated: all the facilities, access points, and communications were remodeled, the capacity was reduced (there are 910 seats in the main hall and seating in several additional multipurpose spaces), the offices and other spaces in the theater were redistributed, the roof and terraces were renovated, the façades were repaired and cleaned, and the stage, finishings, and decoration were completely rejuvenated. The building’s three pictorial sets were also restored under the direction of the Conservation and Restoration Department of the San Telmo Museum: the vault painted by Ignacio Ugarte (an allegory of the rising sun), the paintings in the China Room (a decorative ensemble with an oriental theme done by the Basque-French painter Pierre Ribera), and the panels in the foyer (three paintings by Ascensio Martiarena that make up a set representing –in frieze format– the three main muses of the performing arts; that is, music, poetry, and dance). With this, the Victoria Eugenia Theater became an innovative stage space endowed with the most modern equipment and services while maintaining all its original charm and characteristics.
Steeped in history, this theater has witnessed the main cultural events in the city. In fact, using terminology from today’s times, we could almost consider it to be like a social network; one of the most active ones in the Basque Country. In its hundred years of life, it has served as a discussion forum, a window to discover the world, a meeting space, a learning center, and much more. Here we said goodbye to the bertsolari (Basque composer of verse) known as Txirrita and applauded the voices of Montserrat Caballé and Luciano Pavarotti. We have greeted the old glories of Spanish theater and the new glories of the Basque stage. We have discovered Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and we have been moved by Mikel Laboa and the symphonic orchestra. We have lived through as many experiences as the number of phases and faces that the Victoria Eugenia has gone through. The theater has been an aristocratic club, a popular dance hall, a platform for Basque culture, the venue for international festivals, a cradle for artists, a dressing room for big stars, a loudspeaker for demands, and multidisciplinary space.
This great theater managed by Donostia Kultura has been, is, and will continue to be one of the main theatrical and social spaces in the Basque Country – an ideal place for holding events and conferences and a true social network that is updated at the pace of the times.
Victoria Eugenia Theater
República Argentina 2, San Sebastián.
