Antonio Banderas now has his 'cathedral' in Malaga: SUR goes behind the scenes at Sohrlin Andalucía

"This is a cathedral" said an enthusiastic Antonio Banderas who, together with his business partner Domingo Sánchez, welcomed the many representatives from the press to the ongoing work for their new project in Malaga: Sohrlin Andalucía. The dimensions of the space (8,000 square metres) and a "millionaire" investment that they are reluctant to reveal, illustrate the idea of a cultural temple that the actor and director from Malaga has built in the old Misericordia warehouses, right by the sea.

These were once part of the steel and textile industries operating in the city, a factory spirit that the two promoters do not want to lose in this new and impressive space dedicated to all things cultural, but especially to create, produce, provide training for and distribute shows. "A 360 degree centre" which opened its doors for the first time last Friday and which aspires to become a cultural benchmark in Spain, because "there is nothing like it", remarked Banderas.

"Sohrlin is a set of different performing arts in the same space that houses the exhibition and production of shows, including the circus, new technologies and a technical school that one rarely comes across because almost all of them are artistic." This is how Banderas defined this great new project still under development. Aside from setting up shows, it will also be a training centre for stage specialities, a top-notch performance and rehearsal facility, an exhibition complex for shows for up to a thousand people and an artistic residence. "I don't know of a building that houses everything that we are housing in this enormous shoebox," said the actor and promoter from Malaga, who could not help but smile as he showed off his new dream. This is a project that not only aspires to be a national and international cultural icon, but also to integrate local talent and production into its day-to-day work.

Antonio Banderas himself and Domingo Sánchez were our personal guides through these renovated, industrial facilities that formerly housed Tamese (steel manufacturer), Arabesco (textile company) and a grain silo. Now housing a stage and cultural centre arising from the union of the companies of both businessmen: Teatro del Soho Caixabank and Merlín Producciones. This mutual collaboration was symbolised by both partners on the respective shirts they wore for the press call: on a black background with yellow corporate letters one could read 'Soh' on Banderas' T-shirt and 'rlin' on Sánchez' top and, when both stood side by side for the photos, they completed the puzzle of letters that gives the project its name: Sohrlin.

This team of two has claimed many times that they are bringing a sense of industry to the realm of the cultural arts. During the visit the pair explained that these 8,000 square metres are divided into two buildings. The more distinguished, smaller one is the building that serves as the main entrance on Calle Almonte - at the back of La Térmica - where the main reception, offices and a grand piano are set to welcome visitors.

Climbing up the stairs of this first building, which retains its original 1950s design, you reach the first floor where the Sohrlin School's training rooms are located. The second floor houses a charming and modern accommodation for artists and students with room for 30 people. This dual educational and residential set-up will be the first thing to come into operation in October, rendering this Banderas-Sánchez project similar to Rafa Nadal's academy in Manacor, albeit in a different discipline to sports.

With the look and feel of a state-of-the-art urban hotel, the Sohrlin guesthouse makes the most of the colour black and has ten rooms ranging from single suites to shared double and triple rooms for students. All of them are named after show business professions (scenography, scriptwriting, production...), decorated with activities from the Soho Theatre and Merlín and even with some personal touches. For instance, the one christened 'Direction', a luxurious and spacious corner room facing the sea, is presided over by a photo of Antonio Banderas supervising rehearsals for the musical 'A Chorus Line'.

The big surprise of the visit was when we stepped from this first building via an accessway into the large hall with a saw-tooth roof. This is what makes Sohrlin Andalucía such a unique initiative, a future assembly line for audiovisual productions and live shows. Up to five productions can be staged at the same time. To illustrate its possibilities, the full Soho Larios Pop Orchestra was already waiting there to welcome the entire press entourage with a very special soundtrack, 'Sohrlinfonía', a piece composed by Arturo Díez Boscovich. This soundtrack was officially premiered the following day at the public launch of this new space in the presence of the heads of the Junta de Andalucía (Juanma Moreno), the Diputación (Francisco Salado for the provincial government) and the mayor of Malaga town hall (Francisco de la Torre).

With the music playing at full blast, Banderas and Sánchez's faces could not hide the excitement generated by this great space and their project. An architectural renovation that has respected the uniqueness of its mid-20th century industrial design while adapting it for cultural use in modern times. A "millionaire" investment was all that the promoters were giving away in the face of insistent questions from the press gathering. They also avoided stating a final figure on the project cost as it is still under development. On the public funding side, Sohrlin Andalucía already has a sponsorship of two million euros provided by the Junta's culture department with EU funds.

Beneath the striking roof of the main hall the pair explained how these thousands of square metres can be shaped and subdivided according to the needs of the different types of productions. In the centre will be the stage for the auditorium with an audience capacity of over 1,000 people, where the respective brands of the partners, Cirque des Sens and Soho Theatre, are expected to develop both circus and theatre projects. In fact, the recent musical Playing Our Song, which is currently on at the Calle Córdoba venue, has already used Sohrlin for rehearsals.

In addition, Sohrlin is also developing some different installations such as 'Inmersoh', a large digital laboratory for immersive experiences and multidisciplinary productions. Then there's 'Black Box', a rehearsal space for avant-garde and experimental theatrical proposals that, by taking down the fourth wall of the stage, can actually place the stage in the midst of the spectators. Lastly, there is a 'show business centre' for the entertainment industry. These elements will also be directly connected to the academy, which will provide content and technical trades related to the audiovisual sector and the performing arts, leading to recognised degrees and also private master classes.

The teaching offer is fundamentally technical, with specialisations in characterisation, lighting, stage management, production, sound, costumes, machinery and scenography, among others. "We are going to bring in the best, many of whom are Spanish experts", promised a very determined-looking Antonio Banderas within the main hall of his new great "cathedral" of stage culture in Malaga.