Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
| Santa Monica Civic Auditorium | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Data | |
| place | Santa Monica |
| architect | Welton Becket |
| Construction year | 1958 |
| Coordinates | 34 ° 0 ′ 32 ″ N , 118 ° 29 ′ 21 ″ W |
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a multi-purpose convention center located on 1855 Main Street in Santa Monica , California . It is owned by the State of California and was built in 1958. Welton Becket was the architect .
architecture
The building was constructed from reinforced concrete . It combines elements of a theater and a concert hall as well as those of an exhibition center and a congress hall. Parabolic columns hold the cantilever canopy. A brise soleil and a curtain wall reduce direct sunlight.
The Civic Auditorium has around 1,093 m² available for trade fairs, plus the 417 m² stage, for a total of 1,511 m² of exhibition space. In the east wing there is a conference room with 390 m². The lobby is 623 square meters.
The main hall is not only used for trade fairs, but also for sporting events, concerts, meetings and award ceremonies. The center has space for 3,000 seats for concerts, 720 tables for banquets and the Civic Auditorium for 2,500 seats as a sports hall. Using a hydraulic device, the auditorium can be transformed in a few seconds from a concert or projection hall into a theater hall with tiers or into an exhibition hall with several levels.
history
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium opened in the summer of 1958 and was the second largest event venue in the Los Angeles area at the time . The $ 2.9 million project is owned by the City of Los Angeles.
The auditorium quickly became known as a concert venue. Among others were Eric Clapton , Frank Sinatra , Village People , Dave Brubeck , Laury Nyro , Ella Fitzgerald , Prince , The Eagles and Bob Dylan on there. The Eagles performance can be heard in parts on the album Eagles Live (1980). In 1964 the concert film TAMI Show was shot there, which became famous above all for James Brown's extravagant appearance. The Academy Awards were held there from 1961 to 1967 .
In the mid-1980s, the former prestige building became more and more of a financial burden for the city. For a long time they considered converting the building or replacing it entirely. In the 2000s, the building lost $ 2 million that had to be borne by the city. A complete overhaul of the building would cost $ 50 million, which suggests that the building should be demolished. But until now people have shied away from that because the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a landmark of the city. In 2013 the building was closed indefinitely.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ City of Santa Monica Designated Landmarks . City of Santa Monica. Archived from the original on October 4, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
- ↑ a b c Jay Goldman (July 10, 1986), 4,500-Seat Civic Could Be Razed or Renovated: Santa Monica Studies 4 Auditorium Plans Los Angeles Times .
- ↑ Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Santa Monica, accessed January 25, 2014 .
