Riachuelo Theater

The Riachuelo Theatre, in Rio de Janeiro

The Riachuelo Theatre stands out in the centre of Rio with its surprising Arab style in the midst of the modern constructions. The Rio de Janeiro audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this building with a singular orientalist architecture, a performance hall with an exotic charm.

The building with the oriental style

The Riachuelo Theatre stands out in the landscape of the centre of Rio, with its surprising Arab style in the midst of the modern constructions that surround it. This singular building displays an orientalist architecture, inspired by Islamic art and the palaces of the Orient, with its arches, its geometric motifs, its ornaments and its appearance of a palace of the Thousand and One Nights. This taste for exoticism and orientalism was fashionable at certain eras, and this building is a rare and picturesque testimony of it in the heart of the Brazilian metropolis. Restored and reconverted, the building today shelters a theatre, endowed with a modern hall, that hosts shows, concerts, musicals and other cultural events. The contrast between its traditional and exotic façade and the surrounding skyscrapers makes of it an astonishing and photogenic element of the centre. It illustrates the architectural diversity of Rio, a cosmopolitan town with a thousand influences, where the styles and the eras mingle. A singular building and a performance hall, the Riachuelo Theatre is an astonishing stop of the discovery of Rio de Janeiro.

What to see

You admire the singular building with the surprising Arab and orientalist style, with its arches, its geometric motifs and its appearance of a palace of the Orient, which stands out in the midst of the modern skyscrapers of the centre of Rio; restored and reconverted, it today shelters a theatre with a modern hall hosting shows, concerts and musicals, illustrating the architectural diversity of the cosmopolitan town. The Riachuelo Theatre is an astonishing building of Rio. It is an astonishing stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Riachuelo Theatre lies in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, reachable on foot and by metro. You admire its orientalist façade from the street; the shows follow their own programme and hours, which vary. It is best to check the agenda before coming.

What is particular about the Riachuelo Theatre in Rio de Janeiro?

Its surprising Arab and orientalist style, with its arches, its geometric motifs and its appearance of a palace of the Orient, which stands out in the midst of the modern skyscrapers of the centre of Rio; restored and reconverted, this singular building today shelters a theatre with a modern hall and illustrates the architectural diversity of the cosmopolitan town.

Where is the Riachuelo Theatre in Rio de Janeiro?

In the centre of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil.