The Manila Metropolitan Theatre was built in the 1930s, designed by architect Juan Arellano. The building, designed in the Art Deco style, has a seating capacity of 1,670 (846 in the parterre, 116 in the box and 708 in the balcony). During the legendary Battle of Manila in 1945, the theatre was severely damaged, with parts of the roof and walls bombed. Then, after reconstruction by the Americans, the building sat empty for a long time and was not and was not properly maintained. It was only in 1978 that it was again thoroughly thoroughly renovated again, but sadly it was again neglected. Recently, a bus stop and parking lot were built at the rear of the theater, and the City of Manila, with the support of the National Committee for Culture and the Arts, finalized a plan to revive the theater.
The sculptures installed at the front of the building are the creation of Italian Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti, who lived in Manila from 1930 until his death in 1958. He worked closely with Juan Arellano. The walls of the lobby and and the interior of the theatre are decorated with stylised relief ornaments of Filipino plants by artist Isabelo Tampingco. In 2010 Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim inaugurated the theatre building after another phase of restoration work. The Metropolitan Theatre is located on Padre Burgos Avenue, near the Central Manila Post Office.
