Madrid's permanent circus can be found in the former grounds of the Pacisa biscuit factory. Construction began in 2002, following plans set by architect Mariano Bayón. The building was inaugurated in 2007 and thus, Madrid City Council had provided the capital with a new unique venue, joining a long list of cities with resident circuses such as Paris with its Cirque d’Hiver, Brussels, Munich’s Circus Krone, Amsterdam, Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon, Budapest, London, Vienna, Manchester and Copenhagen, among others.
The circus’s main stage area can accommodate up to 1,706 spectators. For smaller-format shows, additional seats are brought onto the main stage and the space is converted into Sala Parish. What’s more, the venue is also equipped with two exhibition halls (Sala Malabar and Sala Trapecio), one rehearsals space and 12 dressing rooms.
The building complex is composed of many polyhedral pieces that make up four spaces including: an exhibition venue; the main building with a round-shaped circus hall; a back building which connects to the loading bay; an offices and administration building; and a facilities basement with a workshop and crafts area.
The original Circo Price building—the work of architect Pedro Vidal—was erected in 1868. A wooden structure with a central stage, it was located on the site of a former garden on the corner of Paseo de Recoletos and what is now Calle de Bárbara de Braganza. The circus was founded by impresario Thomas Price, an Irish horse tamer who came from a long line of acrobats and who arrived in Madrid in 1847. In 1880, his son-in-law, William Parish, opened a new Teatro Circo Price in Plaza del Rey, now home to the Ministry for Culture. The theatre was representative of the Madrid cultural scene, until on 12 April 1970, it held its final performance. More than 30 years later, this resident circus re-opened its doors at the same site where it can be found today.
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