[fr] 
[es]The Cinema Theater Varia
| Type | Video | Country | Date | Status | Rating | |
 Public building |  Watch it! |  Belgium | 2005-08-01 | Reconverted | ***** |
|
One More Abandoned Wonder
Built from 1910 to 1913 by the architect E.Claes, this theater is made from reinforced concrete.
It has an impressive Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) façade. This is one of the last cinema theater dating from before the first World War remaining in Belgium.
Architectural details. click to enlarge!
The "Ciné Varia" is today a derelict building. All the interior design have disappeared. Yet the place is still beautiful with its large interior volume, wide balconies and great red curtain.
Infiltrating the building is difficult, so the place has remained protected from vandalization, theft and taggers.
Interior panoramic view. Click to enlarge!
And then what happened? 1986 is the year of the abandonment of the building. In year 1992, the main façade and parts of the roof of the theater are listed as an historical monument. In 2000 the Walloon heritage institute owns the building. Facades should recover their aspect from the beginning of the XXth Century, but the works start only end of 2004!
Mid-2005, date of the exploration of the Theater. Due to lack of funds, the works are stopped. Projects of a new cultural center? Home for the childhood? Whatever... These best intentions seem futureless now...
More about Belgian Art-Nouveau style? Here!