Amsterdam Tuschinski proclaimed most beautiful cinema in the world

The widely-read British magazine Time Out has proclaimed the Pathé Tuschinski in Amsterdam the most beautiful cinema in the world.

The jury, which consists of editors of the magazine and art connoisseurs, describes the cinema as "a dream palace that never grew old, with its elegant mix of Art Deco and Art Nouveau with sleek modernist accents." Time Out recommends its readers "take a pilgrimage to this opulent, historic sanctuary for the movies."

The Tuschinski Theater on the Reguliersbreestraat in Amsterdam opened in October 1921. It was designed and built by the Polish cinema operator Abraham Tuschinski, who abandoned plans to move to the United States during the early twentieth century in favor of Rotterdam.

He first found success as a cinema owner there before venturing into the Amsterdam market, but his Rotterdam properties were destroyed by the Nazis during the Blitz of 1940. A Jewish man, Tuschinski was sent to Westerbork and then deported to Poland in 1942. He was killed at Auschwitz later that year.

The Tuschinski, with its theatrical main hall including romantic boxes and thick carpets, is still a popular place for gala premieres. Before the coronavirus crisis, live concerts and operas that took place elsewhere in the world were increasingly shown on the big screen.

The French owner Pathé has recently carried out a major restoration with a view to the centenary. It is not yet entirely clear whether the celebration will continue. As a result of the corona measures, Tuschinski, like all other cinemas in the Netherlands, is closed.