The cinema hall’s construction started later, and in January 1935, the ARO Cinema was inaugurated. It featured 1,200 seats and cutting-edge projection technology for the era. The opening was a major cultural and social event. Bucharest’s elite discovered a modern, elegant space where they could enjoy not only the latest films but also musical and theatrical performances.

The inauguration of ARO Cinema – the beginning of a golden era

The ARO Cinema quickly became a central hub of the city’s cultural life. In 1937–1938, the great George Enescu and Spanish cellist Pablo Casals performed on its stage, followed a decade later by Yehudi Menuhin, Enescu’s student. 

Renowned for its excellent acoustics and refined design, the cinema hall became a veritable cathedral of the arts.

War and hardship

With the outbreak of World War II, ARO Cinema entered a difficult yet meaningful period. In a city ravaged by bombings, the theater became a refuge for art. It hosted concerts by the Bucharest Philharmonic and performances by the National Theatre, after the original theatre building on Calea Victoriei was destroyed.

However, the cinema was not spared from the compromises of wartime. During the German occupation, the venue hosted events for the Nazi troops stationed in Bucharest, complete with propaganda symbols. It was a turbulent time when art, politics, and survival inevitably intersected.

From ARO to Patria – the communist transformation

After the war, with the rise of the communist regime, ARO Cinema was nationalized and renamed Cinema Patria. In an era when culture was often used as a tool of propaganda, the hall still managed to preserve its role as a place of entertainment and emotion. It hosted screenings of both Romanian and Soviet films, as well as official gatherings and cultural events sanctioned by the regime.

Despite ideological control, Cinema Patria remained a beloved place for generations of Bucharest residents — a space where people queued for hours to watch foreign films or attend musical performances. For many, it represented a glimpse of freedom and imagination in a restricted world.

Melody Bar – an underground legend

Beneath the cinema operated the famous Melody Bar, a true legend in Bucharest’s nightlife. During the war and the decades that followed, Melody was synonymous with elegance and escape. It hosted musical shows, parties, and even fashion events, attracting artists, musicians, and intellectuals.

During the communist period, Melody adapted to the new order. It was rumored that even members of the Ceaușescu family frequented the bar, alongside artists and officials. In an otherwise gray city, Melody remained a small island of sophistication, where creativity and charm still found a place.

The decline of a modernist monument

After the 1989 Revolution, the fate of the ARO Building and Cinema Patria began to deteriorate steadily. Despite repeated promises of restoration, no real work was ever done. The cinema continued to function until 2015, when it was finally closed. Since then, the building has been left abandoned, prey to time and neglect.

Today, what was once a jewel of modernist architecture stands as a ruin covered in graffiti, mold, and garbage. Broken windows and crumbling walls now mark the decay of what should be a protected heritage site.

Marius Coaje, former deputy director of the Municipal Administration for Seismic Risk Buildings, declared in an interview for Gândul:

“The building’s condition is the same as it has been for years — an abandoned structure in the center of the Capital, left to decay. Several authorities have promised to consolidate and restore it, but nothing has been done. It is a public danger for pedestrians and for the people living nearby.”

His words reveal a painful truth: Bucharest suffers from a chronic inability to preserve its architectural legacy. The ARO Building and Cinema Patria are not mere constructions — they are symbols of identity, cultural landmarks that shaped the spirit of the city.

Architect Horia Creangă – the legacy of a visionary

To understand the true value of this edifice, one must look back to its creator: Horia Creangă, the nephew of writer Ion Creangă. Educated in Paris, Horia Creangă was a pioneer of Romanian modernist architecture, embracing the principles of functionalism and simplicity. In an age still dominated by neoclassical influences, he had the courage to bring avant-garde ideas to Romania.

The ARO Building is considered his masterpiece. Through this project, Creangă masterfully combined rationality with aesthetics, utility with elegance. The building became a model for subsequent developments along Magheru Boulevard, helping define the modernist axis of interwar Bucharest.

Sadly, Horia Creangă’s life was cut short — he died in 1943, at just 45 years old. Yet his work continues to inspire architects and historians who regard him as one of the founding figures of Romanian modernism.

A symbol awaiting rebirth

Today, the ARO Building and Cinema Patria stand in limbo, awaiting revival. Various restoration projects have been announced over the years, but none have materialized. The building, now under the administration of Bucharest’s Sector 1 City Hall, remains in a dangerous state of disrepair. Every passing year deepens its decay.

Even so, the ARO Building remains one of the most significant examples of modernist architecture in Romania. Its minimalist façade, balanced proportions, and rich history make it a monument of interwar Bucharest, a landmark that deserves to be saved.

A lesson in memory and urban identity

The story of Cinema Patria and the ARO Building is, in many ways, the story of Bucharest itself — a city of contrasts, of grand dreams and tragic neglect. From interwar glamour and cultural vibrancy to post-communist decay, this building has witnessed nearly a century of transformation.

What was once a beacon of light, art, and hope has become a shadow of its former self. And yet, symbols do not die easily. In the collective memory of Bucharest’s people, there lingers a deep nostalgia for Cinema Patria — for the movie nights, for Enescu’s music, for the elegance of the Melody Bar.

Perhaps one day this historic edifice will be restored to its rightful glory, once again becoming a space for joy, art, and community. Until then, it remains a symbol of memory, a reminder that the past never truly disappears — it simply waits to be rediscovered.

In the heart of the Capital, at 12–14 Magheru Boulevard, the ARO Building still stands, weary but proud — like an old aristocrat who has seen it all. Beneath its layers of dust and decay, it still preserves the echo of a world that once believed in progress, beauty, and culture. And that belief, though faded, remains one of Bucharest’s most precious legacies.

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