Olympia Theater (Miami)
| The Jewel of South Florida | |
|
Exterior of venue (2016) | |
| Former names |
Miami Theatre & Office Building (planning/construction) Olympia Theater & Office Building (1926-72) Gusman Cultural Center (1972-94) Gusman Center for the Performing Arts (1994-2003) Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts (2002-13) |
|---|---|
| Address |
174 E Flagler St Miami, FL 33131-1130 |
| Location | Downtown Miami |
| Owner | City of Miami |
| Operator | Olympia Center, Inc. |
| Capacity |
1,567 (2012-present) 1,710 (1977-2012) 2,170 (1926-77) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 27, 1925 |
| Opened | February 18, 1926 |
| Renovated | 1972, 1975-77, 1989-96, 2000-02, 2009-12 |
| Closed | 1970-72, 1989-96 |
| Construction cost |
1.5 million ($20.7 million in 2016 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | John Eberson |
| General contractor | George A. Fuller Company |
| Tenants | |
| Greater Miami Philharmonic Orchestra (1972-82) | |
| Website | |
| Venue Website | |
| Building details | |
| General information | |
| Renovated | 2009-12 |
| Renovation cost |
$12.2 million ($13.5 million in 2016 dollars[1]) |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | RJ Heisenbottle Architects |
| Structural engineer | Maurice Gray & Associates |
| Services engineer | Gartek Engineering |
| Civil engineer | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. |
| Main contractor | Trigram GC |
|
Olympia Theater and Office Building | |
| Location | Miami, FL |
| Coordinates | 25°46′27.12″N 80°11′25.8606″W / 25.7742000°N 80.190516833°WCoordinates: 25°46′27.12″N 80°11′25.8606″W / 25.7742000°N 80.190516833°W |
| Built | 1925-26 |
| Architect | John Eberson |
| Architectural style | Mediterranean Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 84000839[2] |
| Added to NRHP | March 8, 1984 |
The Olympia Theater is a theater located in Miami, Florida. Designed by John Eberson in his famed atmospheric style, the theater opened in 1926. Throughout its history, the venue has served as a movie theater, concert venue and performing arts center. In 1984, it received historical designation by the NHRP.[3] The Olympia Theater and its sister venue, the Tampa Theatre are the only remaining atmospheric theaters in Florida.
Background
In 1924, Paramount Enterprises, Inc. commissioned a theater in the South Florida area. Cities chosen for consideration were: Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa and Sarasota. Architect John Eberson was hired to design the theater, after the success of his work with the Majestic Theatre in Dallas, Texas. Blueprints were completed in December 1924. Miami was chosen as the city and the theater was built on the site of the former "Airdome", an open-air movie theater.
Construction began in May 1925 for the "Miami Theatre and Office Building". Eberson designed the theater to replicate a Spanish garden. The venue was completed in January 1926. The venue was renamed the "Olympia Theater and Office Building" by the wife of the land owner, Mrs. A.E. Rickmers. The name was changed to match its Mediterranean design style. The theater opened on February 18, 1926 as a silent movie theater.
As the movie entertainment changed, so did the purpose of the theater. By 1929, talking pictures and vaudeville grew in popularity. The theater began to host many acts including the Marx Brothers and Gypsy Rose Lee. By the 1950s, the theater hosted numerous concerts. The theater gained notoriety after 15 sold-out performances by Elvis Presley in August 1956. The 50s and 60s saw performances from Etta James, Della Reese and B.B. King.
By the late 1960, the use of the theater declined. Plans were underway to demolish the theater and convert the space into a parking lot. In 1970, the venue was purchased by businessman and philanthropist, Maurice Gusman. He later hired famed local architect, Morris Lapidus to renovated the main auditorium.[4] The capacity was reduced from 2,000 to 1,700.[5] In 1972, the renovated theater became the home of the Greater Miami Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1975, Gusman donated the property to the City of Miami, under the condition it would be operated by the Parking Authority. Renovations continued on the theater from 1975 to 1977. The former movie palace was converted to a rock convert venue and named the "Gusman Cultural Center".[6] With the new era, the theater hosted concerts by Jimmy Buffett, The Police, Molly Hatchet, Devo and Supertramp.
In 1984, the NHRP listed the theater as one of its historic places. However, the theater faced another decline in the late 80s. This time, plans included converting the property into a retail space. The Gusman Estate moved against the changes and created a non-profit organization, the Friends of Gusman, to help create funds to improve the aging building. Renovations began in 1989 to convert the former rock venue into a performing arts center.[7] The theater reopened in 1994. The theater changed names once again to the "Gusman Center for the Performing Arts". The venue continued to concerts by Annie Lennox, Luciano Pavarotti and Johnny Cash.
In 2000, restoration work began on the theater's original artwork. Also, plans were underway to repair the building's structure and exterior frame.[8] The venue had a grand reopening in October 2002, under the name the "Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts".[9] In 2009, another rounds of renovations began to repair the stage, acoustics, HVAC systems, replace seating and restore the original Olympia marquee. Capacity was reduced from 1,700 to 1,500.
In 2010, the Olympia Center, Inc. was formed to manage and operate the venue. The team works with various promotion companies including AEG Live, Shock Entertainment, the Rhythm Foundation and Poplife.[10] In 2014, the venue changed to its original name, "Olympia Theater". Concerts included Bryan Adams, Kraftwerk and Damien Rice.
Significance
On April 18, 2012, the American Institute of Architects's Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places as the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts.[11]
References
- 1 2 Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ↑ National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form (Report). United States Department of the Interior. February 9, 1984. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ Paine-McBrien, Judith (2012). "MI-15: Olympia Theater at The Gusman Center". Pocket Guide to Miami Architecture. New York City, New York: W. W. Norton & Company. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-393-73306-8.
- ↑ "Night Club-Vaude Review: Olympia, Miami". Billboard. Cincinnati, Ohio: The Billboard Publishing Company. 63 (24): 32. June 16, 1951. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ Olympia Theater & Office Building - Designation Report (PDF) (Report). City of Miami Planning Department. June 15, 1983. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ Zink, Jack (December 5, 1991). "South Florida`s Playbill To Add New Theater". Sun-Sentinel. Tribune Company. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ Kirk, Fiona (June 2003). "Maimi Jewel" (PDF). Stage Directions. Lifestyle Media, Inc. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ Hood, John (June 4, 2010). "NiteTalk: Behind the Stage & Screen With The Gusman's Margaret Lake". WTVJ. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ Duran, Jose D. (September 16, 2015). "Video: Miami's Most Beautiful Venue Is Getting Its Second Wind". Miami New Times. Voice Media Group. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places". AIA Florida. Retrieved 26 October 2015. Includes the full list
Media related to Olympia Theater, Miami FL at Wikimedia Commons
