Abstract

Built in the artistic splendor that prevailed in the late 19th century, Amazonas Theater is considered the most significant architectural construction of the so-called golden age of rubber, both for the values applied in its construction and for the symbolic importance it assumed, that is, the man's victory over the jungle, financial prosperity and the alleged artistic-cultural effervescence. However, when compared to the millenary constructions of the Ancient World, Amazonas Theater can be considered a “baby” and therefore a source of knowledge to be explored. In this sense, this paper intends to be the first one of a series of other ones that intends to study the behaviour of this structure. The paper is focused on describe the history of the construction of the Amazonas Theater highlighting the structural solution adopted to overcome the logistical challenges faced by a construction carried out in the middle of the largest tropical forest in the world and the main interventions performed during its 123 years. To this end, the building records of the Theater, an indispensable documentary source of the building's history, were consulted.