Hundred-Year-Old Theater Is Transformed Into Stunning Bookstore
Sep 16, 2020
For a true book lover, a trip to Buenos Aires might be an excellent idea. In the midst of this busy Argentinian city, one will find an old theater that's been transformed into a bookstore. The building itself was built back in 1919, and its original purpose was to host ballets, operas, movies, and much more. The place served its purpose as a stylish movie theatre for about seven decades. Back in 2000, it made its transformation into what it is now: a book lover's haven.
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The bookstore, El Ateneo Grand Splendid, was the brainchild of an architect and a publishing company. The feel of the old-time theater remains, due in no small part to box seats and dim lighting. However, those box seats have now been transformed into reading nooks. Many people choose to sit down and immerse themselves in a good book while being surrounded by history and culture from a century ago.
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El Ateneo Grand Splendid is a truly magical place to visit, as several reviews on Trip Advisor describe:
One traveler commented, "The old theatre is for many years such an impressive bookstore that many visitors come to see the set up."
And if your Spanish is not too great, don't worry: as one visitor pointed out, the book store offers an entire section of books in English for those traveling from outside the Spanish-speaking world.
Visitors can also grab lunch while they are visiting the book store. The stage is now a cafe, offering you something to drink or snack on while you're enjoying a book.
Now, if this place isn't a bookworm's dream, what is? Think about it: you are sitting on the stage of a historic theater, sipping coffee while there are literally books in every direction you look.
According to Frommer's Travel Guides, the best time to visit Buenos Aires is between March and May and then again later in the year from September to November.
Would you spend part of your vacation in a theater turned bookstore? Tell us what you think. And if you have another book lover in your life, give them a chance to see this by passing this article along to them.