This Monday, April 10, was a bittersweet day for music lovers in CDMX, because although some were happy with the announcement of Rosalía’s concert in the Zócalo, others were saddened to learn of the demolition of the well-known and endearing Plaza Condesa.
The Plaza Condesa had one of Blur’s most intimate showsin 2013, and it was the place where bands like The Wombats they had their only show in Mexico. Also, it was the site that groups like Phoenix used for their residence, in 2019, or that saw the goodbye (unknowingly) of groups like The Maccabees.
The history of the Plaza Condesa
The Countess Square it was one of the best-known concert venues –and we dare say dear– in Mexico City, since its space was perfect for shows that were not so big, but not exactly small either.
Many of us experience incredible concerts within its wooden walls that looked like a honeycomb. However, the earthquake of September 19, 2019 was the beginning of the end for Plaza Condesa, a venue that was not initially intended for concerts.
Plaza Condesa began as a cinema in the 1950s
Located at 4 Juan Escutia street in the Hipódromo Condesa neighborhood, belonging to the Cuauhtémoc mayor’s office, the history of El Plaza Condesa began between 1952 and 1973 thanks to the design of the Engineer Francisco J. Serrano and the architect Fernando Pineda.
It is said that since the beginning of the construction, the building that became the extinct Cinema Auditorium Plaza (which was before the concert venue we met) had problems in its structure and it took quite a few years to start working properly.
It was a cinema and casino before becoming a concert venue
The Cine Plaza was known in its time for being the few cinemas that had bar service and showed films of the so-called ‘art cinema’ (From there we already have an idea that going to this place would be more expensive than in a conventional cinema).
The Plaza Auditorium Cinema building He also had a kind of reputation for bad luck.since the businesses that were put in that building never prospered and the earthquake of September 19, 1985 considerably affected its structure.
Ocesa developed and adapted what we knew for years as El Plaza Condesa
After being a cinema and confirming the theory of bad luck, the place became a casino and place for bets. The concept didn’t work Starting in 2011, OCESA began developing the property to turn it into a performance hall.
In accordance with the information of the same Plaza Condesathe best ones to the building were in charge of the production designer, Antonio Ironmuñowho together with ESRAWE Diseño made acoustic, lighting, expansion and modernization improvements to El Plaza Condesa.
The Plaza Condesa saw several well-known artists and bands pass by
That was how Plaza Condesa forgot about movie theaters or betting, and opened the doors to dressing rooms, restrooms, new ticket offices and other services that many of us knew during the 8 years where vio pasar a artistas como Nick Cave, Patti Smith, Blur, Massive Attack, Rihanna and many more.
Yes ok the concert venue, designed for 1,900 people and whose maximum capacity was 2,100was considered one of the best concert properties in Mexico by specialized magazines such as Pollstar, the earthquake of September 19, 2019 ruined it.
But the 9/19 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic ended his legacy
Said earthquake left more damage to the structure of El Plaza Condesa, which at first was described as “light” and that is why other concerts were allowed to be held there.
Time after The COVID-19 pandemic arrived and we found out that the El Plaza Condesa building was closed because I was at risk of collapsing. And although we hoped that she would be saved, finally this April 10, 2023 came to an end. Goodbye, cowboy!
