The Cinema Scala is one of the great Streamline Moderne survivors of the southern hemisphere. Opened in 1931, designed by the Portuguese architect Hermínio Furtado, it has a curved white facade, ribbon windows and lettering that could be from a Buenos Aires storefront or a 1930s Tel Aviv hotel. The auditorium still functions, though irregularly — when films are running, single-feature shows of Brazilian, Portuguese and Mozambican titles cycle through the week, and the lobby occasionally hosts art events.
The building is part of the dense cluster of Art Deco architecture along Avenida 25 de Setembro that makes central Maputo one of the most architecturally rewarding cities in southern Africa. Even if the cinema is closed when you pass, the facade is worth a photograph.