>Tucked away in Barrio Norte, Buenos Aires is a beautiful bookshop called El Ateneo Grand Splendid. It is built within the almost 100-year-old Grand Splendid Theater, which opened in 1919. The theatre was later converted into a cinema and eventually, in 2000, it was converted into the El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookshop, which currently welcomes over one million visitors each year.
>The stunning building was originally designed by architects Peró and Torres Armengol, then later converted from a cinema into a bookshop by architect Fernando Manzone, who retained many parts of the theatre, including the stage, the balconies, the incredible architectural details and even the red curtains. In 2008 El Ateneo Grand Splendid was named the second most beautiful bookshop in the world by The Guardian, and that’s no surprise considering it’s elaborate décor and classic 1920’s theater feel.
Well at least people are using such a nice building. More people than ever will be able to appreciate the sublime architecture while buying the best John Green has to offer.
Ian Peterson
It's not like this is news. We've used pictures of it in plenty of bookshelf porn threads on here before.
Mason Davis
Literature has tried to innovate during its death less than cinema which has already lifelessly grasped for gimmicks like novel venues for audiences.
Vidya is declining quicker than both but not as far gone
Julian Sanchez
The place is great. The catalogue... Not so great. Beautiful, but there are lora of second hand bookshops in Buenos Aires that are a lot more interesting for finding good books.
Joshua Murphy
>100 years old. Implying that is old.
Mate, the Dutch have a bookstore in a church from 1294, long before Argentina was even a thing.
Also looks better.
Henry Torres
It's old for the New World.
Jose Hall
I also check out Reddits frontpage every once in a while, but at least I don't repost their bullshit here.
Noah Rodriguez
Such as?
Hudson Ward
interested as well, will be in BsAs in october
Jaxon Carter
I don't think the point was the age
Christopher Williams
>puts up steel structure that covers the architecture
disgusting
Thomas Torres
I have a very simple screening question I use to judge the quality of a book store: "Do you carry the greatest book of all time?" If the clerk answers anything other than "Of course, our entire isle dedicated to Infinite Jest is right this way", I just walk out the fucking door.
I've been there a few times, it's basically a Barnes and Noble in an old opera house. Nothing special.
Jaxson Wright
The steel structure actually complements the building, it is free floating and makes the entire building a juxtaposition of design several hundreds of years apart yet they complement each other.
Besides even Dutch hamlets with say more then 15 inhabitants have a church roughly this size over here for no reason whatsoever.
Camden Garcia
kys
Joshua Fisher
oh, I had the impression the steel was on both sides but thats better
