Gasp! Be still my beating heart. Surely this is the most majestic book store in the world?
El Ateneo Grand Splendid is one of the most well-known bookshops in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Situated at 1860 Santa Fe Avenue in Barrio Norte, the building was designed by the architects Peró and Torres Armengol and opened as a theatre named Teatro Gran Splendid in May 1919. In the late twenties it became a cinema and in 2000 it was converted into a bookshop.
An elegant cafe serves fancy coffees, set lunches and rich pastries in the back of the store where the stage once was. The heavy burgundy curtains still hang from the ceiling, and elevated booth tables are arranged ‘off stage left.’
In a city with a rich literary history and excellent bookstores, this theater cum bookstore is a historical and beautiful building to visit. Imagine snuggling up in a theatre box with a good book and a cup of coffee overlooking your gilded surroundings.
Could you even concentrate on your book?
Confiserie Sprungli
London I Love You
Rio
