Guanajuato’s Fantastic Theater

In Architecture & Design by Isabella Moreno

The Juarez Theater in the city of Guanajuato is an architectural jewel that can not be missed on a journey through the picturesque alleys of this city. It was built at the end of the nineteenth century during 1872-1903 by Architect Jose Noriega and finished by Antonio Rivas Mercado and the Ing. Alberto Malo.

It was a request of General Florencio Antillon and the golden age of this complex was at the end of the nineteenth century until the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. It was a very important forum for artistic activities where there had been famous exponents of that era. The name of the theater is in homage to the political and intellectual liberal Benito Juarez. This space has been the headquarters of the International Cervantino Festival since 1972.

The style of the space responds to the eclecticism that dominated the public buildings of that time. Among all the shapes and colors, the highlight is the peristyle which was inspired by Greek architecture of Doric style. The interior space is a copy of the European models of a horseshoe shape with four orders of balconies and is decorated in an Oriental, breathtaking style.

Since the moment you are inside you take a trip back in time; the form and structure of the elements make your imagination go to pre-revolution Mexico, with shows, costumes and even the light illuminating the scenes all inspired by European countries.

The Juarez Theater in the city of Guanajuato is one of the many architectural spaces that fulfill the function of narrating the incredible story of this beautiful and diverse country.

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