Gamla bíó [Reykjavik]
Gamla bíó
the Old Cinema
Reykjavíkur Biograftheater
It was built by the Danish entrepreneur Peter Petersen in 1926, who in a very colonial-overlord sort of way, named it Reykjavíkur Biograftheater, and built an apartment for himself on the top floor. The first movie to be screened there was the 1925 epic, ‘Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ,’ which stars Ramon Novarro. In 1980, the old hall ceased being a cinema and came to house the Icelandic Opera. Now, with opera performances having moved to Harpa, it hosts concerts and conferences, and Petersen’s apartment has been turned into the rooftop terrace bar, Petersen Svítan.
The building was operated as a cinema until 1980 when the Icelandic Opera bought it for opera performances.