Historic 1930s Roman Theater to Become Hotel While Preserving Performance Space

In Rome, two long-standing urban development projects have recently advanced. The Cinema Metropolitan on Via del Corso will be converted into commercial space while retaining a cinema hall. More significantly, the Teatro delle Arti, a historic theater abandoned for three decades, has secured redevelopment plans through investments from Castello Sgr. The building will be transformed into a hotel featuring an international brand not currently operating in Rome. Investors have committed to preserving the theater space within the structure, ensuring it remains part of the guest experience. This concession was likely necessary to obtain approval from heritage protection authorities. The Teatro delle Arti, designed by architect Carlo Broggi in the rationalist style, opened in 1937 and will undergo renovation as it approaches its 90th anniversary. Located on Via Sicilia near Villa Borghese and Via Veneto, the theater was originally conceived as a multidisciplinary venue integrating theater, dance, music, and poetry. Under its first director, Anton Giulio Bragaglia, it became an important avant-garde cultural center during the fascist era, particularly associated with Futurism. The theater maintained high artistic standards until the 1970s, operated briefly under Vittorio Cecchi Gori in the 1980s, and closed permanently in 1990. Since 2005, it has been owned by the Cassa di Previdenza dei Ragionieri, which previously attempted redevelopment plans during Mayor Alemanno's administration, including a proposed multifunctional space named after actress Anna Proclemer. The current hotel project represents the first viable redevelopment plan in over twenty years of discussion, with hopes that public access to the theater will be maintained rather than becoming exclusive to hotel guests.