Geneva, August 20, 2023 - The fire that ravaged the Plaza cinema was brought under control by firefighters at 6.45 pm on Saturday August 19, after a day of intense intervention. The risk of collapse of the cinema's roof structure has not been completely ruled out, as two of the supporting aluminum beams were severely damaged by the fire. The Plaza Foundation is deeply grateful to the fire crews, whose commitment was exemplary in every respect.

The alarm was sounded at around 5:30 on Saturday morning. A fire had broken out under the roof of the historic Plaza cinema. Arriving on the scene within minutes, the firefighters worked in shifts throughout the day to save the cinema, so dear to the hearts of Genevans.

Around a hundred professional and volunteer firefighters took turns throughout the operation, under the command of Colonel Nicolas Schumacher. The highly unusual nature of the cinema and the very nature of the fire, which spread beneath the metal cladding, made the operation particularly delicate. Indeed, the cinema's roof structure is made up of six large aluminum beams - as beautiful as they are sensitive - which support the entire roof and are one of the cinema's remarkable architectural features. The huge balcony of the cinema theatre is supported by two concrete pillars 30 metres apart.

Significant resources were deployed by the SIS. A crane with a 60-metre reach from a private company was requisitioned and dispatched to the site at around 6 p.m. to enable firefighters to access the roof from a platform in order to cut through the metal roof and bring the fire under control. The operation was completed at around 1am.  Firefighters kept a watch throughout the night, with no signs of the fire resurfacing. The SIS teams left the site at noon on Sunday. A private security company took over to provide surveillance and security for the site.

The roof's load-bearing structure having been badly damaged, the risk of collapse has not yet been completely ruled out. At this stage, the damage may be very extensive, but most of the historic architectural substance has been preserved. Architects and engineers are now mobilized to devise every possible means of reinforcing the structure as quickly as possible. Only after this safety work has been completed will it be possible to clear the site and make a precise diagnosis of the damages. The causes of the fire in the cinema, where renovation work began last June, have not yet been formally established and are the subject of a police investigation.

The Plaza Foundation would once again like to thank the teams of professional and volunteer firefighters from the SIS fire brigade for their skillful intervention, as well as all the rescue workers who took part in the operation. The operation benefited from ongoing and valuable dialogue with the architects and engineers commissioned to carry out the project. The Foundation would also like to thank the many people who showed their sympathy and solidarity.

Whatever happens in the next few days, this dramatic episode whose consequences can only be evaluated in depth in the coming weeks will be significant. However, the Plaza Cinema project is not in question. The Plaza will be reborn.

Photo © Le Plaza 2023, Jörg Brockmann