Cinema Barberini in Rome reopens as multifunctional cultural hub

The Cinema Barberini in Rome, designed by Marcello Piacentini and built in 1930 by Angelo Giuseppe Rossellini, has reopened after a renovation by Studio Bossi of Pavia with artistic direction by Arch. Stefano Rosini. The intervention preserved the facade, the circular vestibule, and the transition element between past and present, while creating six multipurpose halls with distinct color schemes. The new spaces can host art-house films, original-language films, stand-up comedy, exhibitions, concerts, and shows from 10 am to midnight. A bar-restaurant and a terrace overlooking Bernini's Triton Fountain were also added. The reopening coincided with the Rome Film Festival, a symbolic and economically bold move for a struggling sector. Over the past twenty years, 2,000 cinemas have closed in Italy; in Rome alone, more than 100 closed, with over 50 in recent years. The Barberini originally seated 2,000 people and featured Europe's largest projection booth with advanced acoustic technology. It hosted premieres of Miracolo a Milano (February 1951), Accattone (22 November 1961), and Il Gattopardo (27 March 1963). The renovation is not a philological restoration but an adaptive reuse that prioritizes functionality and architectural quality, avoiding the uniformity typical of multiplexes. The project aims to lure audiences back from home viewing by offering comfort and technology, and to serve as a model for repurposing obsolete cinemas as community-oriented multifunctional buildings.