It is one of the few historic cinemas in Lisbon still in operation, and it promotes and disseminates the seventh art and the critical thinking associated with it, as well as other cultural activities such as music, theatre and dance.

One of the most emblematic cinemas in Lisbon, it was opened in 1950 on the initiative of the Anglo-Portuguese Cinema Society, designed by architect Fernando Silva. Originally with a capacity for almost 2,000 seats, its innovation and boldness earned it the unanimous award of the Municipal Architecture Prize that year – one of the most prestigious architectural awards in Portugal. Considered a “modern work”, moving away from the nationalist model then in force, it adopted new construction techniques, including concrete, which allowed for new structural and decorative solutions.

In the early 1980s, after renovation work, the large cinema hall, initially designed with a stalls, balcony and second balcony, whose spatial monumentality was unique, was subdivided into three smaller rooms.

Purchased by Lisbon City Council in 2001, it reopened in the same year after renovation work on the façade and remodelling of the interior. After a further hiatus, it has been hosting intense regular activities since 2006, including national and international film festivals, as well as other high-profile events in the field of performing arts.