Circo Teatro Renacimiento’s acrobatic renaissance

Abstract

Opened on February the 3rd, 1907, in the city of Campeche, the Circo Teatro Renacimiento offered a varied repertoire of events that ranged from circus and theatrical shows to ballroom dancing, boxing fights, bull fights, and even political acts. The first building burned down on December the 5th, 1910, and, after works of restoration, reopened on June the 23rd, 1912. The structure offered a new spatial sensation to its visitors because of its massive vertical and horizontal scales, the use of an octagonal plan without visual obstruction and, most of all, the nakedness of its steel structure and the feeling that it was rigid and stable. The circus companies that survived the revolutionary movement —and those that could keep up with 20th Century trends— used the Circo Teatro Renacimiento’s efficient space, aiding in keeping its success throughout several decades. The use of these spaces for film screening became more and more common, until it became its only use. Unfortunately, these shows and its history were not enough to prevent the closing of the theatre’s doors in 1973. In the early 90s, and after 20 years of decadence, the building was in a shameful state. Fortunately, the local government was interested in it, bought it, and started a long process of restoration that lasted from 1998 to 2006. The new facility included a cafeteria and an interesting site museum. A little more than a century after its creation, the old circus building honors its name of “acrobatic renaissance”, for it has been “given birth” thrice to become a cultural facility that serves the growing population of Campeche.