Cineteatro comunale "Acquaviva"

The Cineteatro Comunale 'Acquaviva' is a study in architectural bicromia, its façade a deliberate play of red facing brick against a simulated travertine plaster. This amphitheatre, built into a hillside, incorporates the brick remains of an older tower into its valley-facing elevation, a pragmatic and aesthetic gesture. A giant order of pilasters unites two storeys, dividing the front into bays of generous rectangular windows. The capitals are simplified, truncated pyramids, supporting a slender cornice and a stone terrace balustrade.

The structure itself is a hybrid: solid masonry for the external and retaining walls, reinforced concrete for the long spans within. Inside, a double-height hall is defined by three pairs of pillars, their trapezoidal beams carrying the terrace roof and the side gallery floors. The ground-floor rooms towards the valley are vaulted, while the first-floor foyer echoes the main hall’s distinctive beam profile. It is a confident, unshowy piece of early modern public building, where utility and a certain formal gravity coexist.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.