Odeon Cinema

The former Odeon Cinema in Lisbon, designed under the influence of the old Beaux-Arts school and Art Deco, was inaugurated in 1923. Odeon was part of Lisbon’s cultural life since then and until the end of the 20th Century. Starting with silent cinema with live music, its golden age was in the 1950s and 70s, with popular films for families and a younger audience. At the end of the 1990s, it went through a gradual decline due to low attendance, which led to its closure in 1997.
The project involved extensive historical research to document the building’s evolution, original construction techniques, and past interventions. Archival sources, material analysis, and on-site investigation were combined to gain a comprehensive understanding of the property’s heritage values. This study provided a solid foundation for the Conservation & Restoration strategy, ensuring that all interventions were informed by accurate historical knowledge.

The work carried out by Conservation Practice included the development of a heritage impact assessment, aimed at establishing and implementing a set of preventive protection measures within the context of the ongoing construction works. The team led the Conservation and Restoration Project, focusing on the preservation of the proscenium and the building’s most significant interior elements, notably the Brazilwood vaulted ceiling and the Art Deco fronton above the proscenium with its supporting columns. On a technical level, the work resulted in the creation of quantity surveys, detailed restoration drawings, and a comprehensive descriptive report, providing a solid foundation for the careful safeguarding of the building’s heritage values.