History: The first Colon Theater was built in
1857 and placed where now stands the Nation Bank, in front of the
Pink House, at the Plaza de Mayo). The New Colon Theater
construction began in 1890 planning to be finished for october 12,
1892 (America's discovery anniversary). Because many difficulties,
it took 18 years to complete the theater and Colon Theater was
opened on May 25, 1908 with Aida's performance.
The Building: The Theater takes up a full
square block, and although many people believe it is facing the 9 de
Julio Avenue, the main entrance is on the opposite side, on Libertad
Street, in front of a three block park (Lavalle Square)
Main Hall: The main hall was designed by the
Italian Engineer Francesco Tamburini and the architects Vittorio
Meano and Jules Dormal, and presages the majesty of the building.
Different marbles were imported from Europe for its construction:
for the balustrades, a yellow variety of Siena, red from Verona and
pink from Portugal; for the main
stairs, white Carrara marble. At
both sides of the grand staircase there are sculptures of lions and
two magnificent statues. The foyer is embellished by venetian
mosaics on the floor and lighted through stained-glasses windows
from Gaudin House in Paris. At the first floor there are arches and
columns with Ionic and Corinthian capitals.
Auditorium: It is surrounded by boxes and has
2450 seats and standing room for 500. The burgundy and golden colors
of the orchestra seats, boxes and curtains contrast with the pastel
colors of the dome painted by Argentinean artist Raúl Soldi (who
was also a Colon's scene-painter) in 1966. The paint illustrate
different Muses of Art.
Central Chandelier: Built in France and made of
bronze, it is one of the most beautiful cut crystal chandeliers of
its time. Seven meters wide, it has 700 light bulbs and weighs two
and a half tons.
The Stage: It is 34 meters deep. There is a 20
meters revolving disk for scenery changes. The lighting is
computerized. The burgundy velvet curtain embroidered in silk and
golden threads works in movable halves.
Golden Room: French Baroque influence is evident
in the Golden Room's ornaments, its columns and walls, where plaster
moldings gilded with 24-carat-gold-leaf enhance the magnificence of
this extraordinary room. There are five bronze chandeliers and two
huge mirrors opposing each other that visually enlarge the room, to
certain extent inspired by the Hall of Mirrors of Versailles Palace.
It is used as a lecture and concert hall.
The building includes rehearsal rooms for the
resident ballet companies, choir and orchestras, and a duplicate of
the stage is built under 9 de Julio avenue for stage rehearsals.
The house has 3 basement floors for workshops and
storeroom for the production of costumes, shoes, scenery. etc.
Everything used on stage is made in the Opera House's workshops.
The Colon Opera House also has an educational
Institute of Art to provide professional training on lyrics, ballet,
make-up, coaching and conducting.
The theater has its own history museum, a Museum
of Antique Musical Instruments, and a public library ideal for
people involved in theater research.
Guided Tours: There are spanish and english
guided tours every hour. You can explore the whole theater and take
a look behind the scenes of the opera to see the workshops and
educational areas.
This is a non-profit site. As it
is free of charge, if you found it useful, please make a donation to support
it. 
