A fire has gutted the historic old cinema, the Plaza, in the centre of Geneva.
The building has been closed to the public since 2004, but was undergoing restoration work.
The area around the cinema was closed off for most of Saturday. The fire started about 5am and was only brought under control later in the afternoon.
Nearby hotels and cafes opened their doors to the firefighters to provide rest and refreshments throughout the day. Teams stayed on site overnight on Saturday to make sure there wasn’t a new outbreak.
The historic cinema opened 1952 and is the largest in the city with 1,000 seats. A political battle has raged about its future use, but a plan to demolish it and turn it into a shopping centre was scuppered by a public outcry.
It was bought by the Wilsdorf Foundation and the plan is to create a new cultural centre – keeping the many historic features.
Renovation work only started in June – and was scheduled to last two years.
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