Greek Theatre [Barcelona]
Teatre Grec
Theatre building in Barcelona, Spain
theater in Barcelona, Spanje
Greek Theatre
The theater is a scenic open-air theater constructed in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exposition, an event that served as the stimulus for building on a good part of the mountain of Montjuïc.
The Greek Theater (Teatre Grec) on which it’s located was an ancient quarry, which became the source of all the materials used to create the structure. It was designed by architect Ramón Reventós Ferrerons, who also oversaw the construction of the Venetian towers of the Plaça Espanya. And if there the inspiration was ancient Venice, for the theater, Ferrerons focused on the theater of Epidaurus, such that the design ultimately became a stage built in a ditch, surrounded by a set of semicircular stands.
After the international engagement, the venue fell into disuse until the 1950s, when the Barcelona City Hall decided to give the theater new life. But its real shining moment wouldn’t arrive until the era of democracy; 1976, to be exact, the year the GREC Festival was first held. Since then, the venue has become the principal point of reference for Barcelona’s summertime cultural life, since the festival, held in July, offers a wide array of live theater, dance, circus, and musical performances.
Spanish name: Teatro Griego. Open-air theatre, built 1929 for the Exposicíon Internacional de Barcelona exposition (as a modern adaption of a Greek theatre, losely based on the Theatre at Epidauros). Since 1976, used for the Festival d'Estiu de Barcelona summer festival, also known as Festival Grec. [N.B.: This theatre is not identical with the central plaza in Barcelona's Parque Güell, also known under the name Teatre Grec/Teatro Griego as intended by its creator A. Gaudi.]