Koskov's Defection Theatre (Sofiensaal)

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Sofiensaal, Marxergasse 17, Vienna, Austria

Featured in The Living Daylights (1987)

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Vienna's Sofiensaal doubles as the inside of the Bratislavan opera house in which Bond meets Saunders where he is informed about the defection of General Georgi Koskov.

About

Originally built as a steam bath house in 1826, the Sofiensaal was later converted to a concert and dance hall around the 1850s. Due to the buildings large ceiling, and old pool beneath the floor, it gave the hall excellent acoustic properties. This lead to the building becoming a recording venue from the 1950s until the mid 1980s, where it turned into a place to have discos and parties and eventually fell into disuse.

A fire started in 2001 due to careless maintenance work destroyed much of the interior, although did leave the façade and some of the surrounding structure intact. In 2008 plans were announced that the building is to be restored, and converted into luxury apartments.