On the site now occupied by the Auditorium di Milano, a local cinema stood amidst the countryside at the beginning of the century.
The first references to the Cineteatro la Montagnetta date back to 1920; at the time, the venue had a seating capacity of 2,000 and screened second- or third-run silent films. With the advent of sound cinema, the Cineteatro la Montagnetta adapted to the changing times by reducing its seating capacity and changing both its name and management to become the Cinema San Gottardo. It expanded its programming to include first-run films and "talkies." Nevertheless, it remained a neighborhood cinema, screening two films a day—often second-run titles. The cinema gained prestige and a new architectural identity thanks to a redesign by Alessandro Rimini, which began in 1936.
The Società Anonima Immobiliare Rione San Gottardo commissioned the architect to renovate the cinema and, at the same time, to design a space for commercial premises and residential units, as part of a neighborhood that was gradually undergoing transformation and modernization.