The venue was built on the elongated plot hitherto occupied by some barracks belonging to the Ministry of Development.[1] Designed by José Espelius [es], building works started in June 1915. It opened in May 1916.[3] It boasted a reported maximum capacity, according to the journalistic chronicles of the time, of up to 3,000 spectators.[4] In 1932, it was briefly used for stage performances.[5] It was refurbished in 1958. Specialised in genre films in the late 20th century, it closed down towards 1985.
In 1990, after the purchase by Yelmo Cines,[n. 1] the interior was revamped into a multiplex with 9 screens distributed on two floors,[3][8] henceforth becoming a linchpin in Madrid for the screening of films in their original version.[n. 2][8] From April to November 2017, the venue was closed due to refurbishing works that included accessibility improvements (a lift between the two floors).[9]
