The most spectacular theaters in America today
Architects’ reputation can be boosted by building the tallest skyscrapers and breathtaking museums, but who knew that the theater could also be one of the structures that can bring back life into a town. So, despite not being among the most recognized buildings anywhere in the world, the theater should not be overlooked.
Theaters have been the backbone of urban culture for a very long time, and in the United States, they have been used as gathering spaces. For centuries, theaters have been used to host operas, ballets, and movies. These performing arts were always held in buildings that looked as beautiful as the art performed there. Theaters built in the early years had the best ornaments with the most outstanding chandeliers, heavy drapes, and a touch of gold.
In the current world, theaters have maintained their position in city life, and even as the type of arts has changed, there is more to the new age theaters than the eye can see. In this article, we will look into the most spectacular theaters that remain remarkable within America.
Kauffman center for performing arts, Kansas, Missouri
The Kauffman Center was opened in 2011, and its size is a whopping 285,000 square feet. The facility was designed by Moshe Safdie of who is an internationally known architect with Safdie architects. The building houses two performance halls, and they both take the shape of a shell. The architect built the shells using stainless steel panels, and the two structures have been connected with a 20-meter high glass-walled atrium that has been grounded using steel cables. The glass structure has specifically been designed to show the panoramic views of Kansas City.
Fox Theatre, Detroit, Michigan
In September 1928, when the fox theater was officially opened to the public, more than 5000 people went to space to marvel at the second-largest theater worldwide. The mammoth building stands at ten stories and features some of the best marble columns. The fox theater is an exquisite sense of architecture built by Charles Howard crane. Howard crane is a Detroit native who worked for Albert Kahn and designed the orchestra hall, the Broadway Capitol, and the Woodward state.
The fox theater is also known for being the first to be built with in-house equipment for making movies.
The central city opera house, Colorado
The main; city opera house was built in 1878 by Cornish and welsh gold miners. The structure is built from stones and has been used to host many performances over the years. The theater is the fifth-oldest opera house in the U.SU.S.
The building was built by Robert s. Roeschlaub was a Denver architect. The opera house has a sitting capacity of 550 people and prides itself on one of the ‘wealthiest square miles on earth. Unfortunately, after the depletion of gold mines, the building stayed abandoned until a volunteer offered to restore it.
Paramount Theater, Oakland, California
This magnificent structure was built by a San Francisco architect named Timothy L. Plunger and was ready by 1931. The theater is a perfect depiction of art deco designs and was initially used as a movie place. The theater, unfortunately, suffered a few decades of neglect, and it was until 1972 when Oakland symphony purchases the building to put it to its former glory.
The theater has been registered under the national register of historic places and is recognized as a national historic landmark.
Radio city music hall, New York
When mentioning the most architecturally outstanding theaters, your list would not be complete without mentioning New York’s radio city music hall. This building has been named among the most iconic performance spots in the United States. The theater was built in 1932 and was part of the Rockefeller Center. The architect Edward Durrell Stone and Donald Deskey used the art deco style to develop one of the best buildings on American soil. The theater is currently ranked as the biggest indoor theater on the planet and one of the best-equipped stages ever built on earth.
Durham performing arts center, Durham, North Carolina
When the building of the 2,800 capacity theater was completed, it marked the beginning of regaining the former glory of the Durham industrial town. The theater was designed by Szostak design Inc. the Durham performing arts center is also recognized for utilizing the most reasonable budget of $46 million, which is almost half the amount spent building a similar structure.
The building was built using multilevel glass, which has a lobby that lets you see the city skyline.
Kleinhans music hall, buffalo, New York
Remarkably, this theater was built by a father and son of Finnish descent. The team included Eliel and Eero Saarinen in collaboration with architects like F.J.F.J. and W.A Kidd. As a result, the music hall has perfectly combined elegant structural beauty and also extraordinary acoustics. The auditorium structure looks like a string instrument built to give the performers an arts receptive concept.
Schermerhorn Symphony Centre, Nashville, Tennessee
The city of Nashville is recognized worldwide for country music, and the creation of this theater confirms that Nashville is a city of a classical music scene. The theater is located in the sobro neighborhood in downtown Nashville. This building hosts a wide range of incredibly musical events and is also the original home for the Nashville symphony. The theater opened its doors in 2006 and is one of the best natural light buildings with more than 30 soundproof windows. The building looks like a 19th-century European concert hall, only that the technology is more modern.
Walt Disney concert hall, Los Angeles, California
The Walt Disney concert hall is home to classical music, contemporary music, and jazz fanatics found in Los Angeles and other locations. This building is a design concept by Frank Gehry and features Final stainless word.
Steel curves to resemble the musical journey of Los Angeles. One remarkable thing about the building is an organ that is found in one of the walls. This organ is magnificent because it is made from 6,134 curved pipes.
Final words
From the theaters discussed above, you can get a clear picture of the impact of good architectural designs. Many theaters have had a stronghold on the image of the towns they are located in, and they continue to be a significant figure for the residents. Such theaters and halls have brought life into the almost forgotten towns in America. Some are featured among the oldest structures to exist concerning performing arts and music. With such buildings being close to a vast population of people, then you are sure that the spirit of movies and art will not die.