The construction of the Uránia's building was finished in the mid-1890s on today's Rákóczi avenue. The design of the palace, built by Henrik Schmal at the request of Kálmán Rimanóczy, incorporates the Venetian Gothic and the Eastern Moorish styles. The architect was originally commissioned to create a music and dance hall, but the place finally opened as a cabaret. At the turn of the century the Hungarian Academy of Sciences initiated a search for a theatre where the Uránia Scientific Society could hold presentations illustrated by moving pictures. Hence the building was rented from 1899 by the Uránia Society and was given the strange name Uránia Hungarian Scientific Theatre. Later on the function of the building changed, but the name Uránia has remained ever since. In 2006, the Uránia National Film Theatre was awarded the European Union’s monument protection prize, Europa Nostra, for outstanding monument restoration. Budapest’s most beautiful film theatre welcomes the film and cinema lovers, playing host to film festivals, special presentations, and other prestigious professional film events. 1/6 × Don't miss the 10th season of live performance transmissions from the MET to Urania National Film Theatre! The season will feature ten transmissions, live from the MET stage, including five new productions and starry revivals featuring the world’s leading artists. The series will reach 71 countries on 6 continents in 2018, as well as more than 750 theaters in the United States. Tosca (Puccini) May 20, 2018 L’Elisir d’Amore (Donizetti) May 27, 2018 Così fan tutte (Mozart) June 3, 2018 Cendrillon (Massenet) April 28, May 6 & June 9, 2018 Where & how? Tickets are available at the cassa of the Urania National Filmtheater (open every day 11:00 am - 08:30 pm) for 4100 HUF. Advanced booking can be made via the ticket sale system of Interticket and Jegymester (available in English too). Photo credit: Uránia Filmszínház /Facebook