Ford Auditorium
Encyclopedia
The Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan
was constructed in 1955 and officially opened in 1956. Located on the Detroit Riverfront, it served as a home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
(DSO) for more than 33 years and was an integral part of the city's Civic Center. With approval from Ford and the city, the building was demolished July 2011 as part of the city's waterfront redesign plans.
and contributions of the Ford affiliated dealers in the U.S. Ford gave its approval when the city planned to remove the building as part of the waterfront redesign plans. The project received such a large donation from the Ford family, it was designed as a memorial to Henry
and Edsel Ford. When the auditorium opened, it became home for the DSO and hosted conventions, pop concerts, theatrical productions and speeches. The building had outlived its usefulness to the city and was replaced by other facilities. The building acoustics were also not considered satisfactory.
The building was designed by the firm of Odell, Hewlett and Luckenbach in the modern style. It is situated at the base of a U-shaped drive named Auditorium Drive. Beneath the drive and adjacent landscaped areas is a two-level parking garage containing 750-spaces. The garage is accessed via ramps in the median of Jefferson Avenue and has a pedestrian entrance which provides direct access to the lower-level lounge of the auditorium.
The exterior shape of the building follows the form of its interior spaces with backstage and audience areas clearly visible. The sides of the building are clad in white marble to harmonize with the other buildings in the Civic Center Complex- the City-County Building
, Veterans Memorial Building
and Cobo Hall and Arena. The Jefferson Avenue and river
facades are covered with a mica
-flecked blue granite in a basket-weave pattern.
In the curved foyer of the main level were three sculptures by local artist Marshall Fredericks
. On the curved wall above the main entrance is a 120-foot mural made of steel, copper and aluminum wire entitled Ford Empire which depicts the Ford Rouge Complex. Above the stairs to the balcony at the east end of the lobby was a piece entitled Harlequins, Ballerina and Orchestral Parade and above the west stairs was another piece entitled Harlequins and Circus Parade. The Ford Empire mural was moved to storage in 2003 and in 2007, the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum at Saginaw Valley State University
negotiated with the City of Detroit to have the two smaller pieces moved there.
On February 14, 1965, the auditorium served as a historical stage for Malcolm X
to deliver his last speech outside of New York before his death. He delivered his "Last Message" at the First Annual Dignity Projection and Scholarship Awards ceremony despite the firebombing of his Queens, New York home by the Nation of Islam
that morning.
Demolition of the Ford Auditorium began on July 9, 2011 after being delayed a month because the city found more asbestos than expected. The demolition is expected to complete by early August 2011 at a cost of $754,000.
made a number of recordings in the venue for Mercury Records
. But it was also considered a very "dead" hall, with poor acoustics that resisted repeated attempts at improvement. After much discussion, the DSO returned to its former home, Orchestra Hall, in 1989. Ford Auditorium has seen little activity since, and by 1995, stopped accepting reservations for use of its facilities.
archives, the auditorium's large Aeolian-Skinner organ was still in the building as of 2006, but had been unused for some time. It was installed in 1957 at a cost of $100,000. Helderop Pipe Organs, along with a team of volunteers, began to dismantle the organ in late June 2011, and finished late July 4, 2011, the day before demolition was scheduled to begin. The city donated the organ to the congregation of nearby St. Aloysius Catholic Church which hopes to have the 2,800-pipe instrument installed and operating in about two years.
A smaller 1,200 pipe organ which operated from the same console has been given to the DSO who will use it to perform 17th and 18th century pieces in Orchestra Hall. A website has been setup with the complete documentation of the organ rescue and restoraton - www.aeolianskinner1324.com
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
was constructed in 1955 and officially opened in 1956. Located on the Detroit Riverfront, it served as a home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its main performance center is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood...
(DSO) for more than 33 years and was an integral part of the city's Civic Center. With approval from Ford and the city, the building was demolished July 2011 as part of the city's waterfront redesign plans.
History
The auditorium was financed by the Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and contributions of the Ford affiliated dealers in the U.S. Ford gave its approval when the city planned to remove the building as part of the waterfront redesign plans. The project received such a large donation from the Ford family, it was designed as a memorial to Henry
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
and Edsel Ford. When the auditorium opened, it became home for the DSO and hosted conventions, pop concerts, theatrical productions and speeches. The building had outlived its usefulness to the city and was replaced by other facilities. The building acoustics were also not considered satisfactory.
The building was designed by the firm of Odell, Hewlett and Luckenbach in the modern style. It is situated at the base of a U-shaped drive named Auditorium Drive. Beneath the drive and adjacent landscaped areas is a two-level parking garage containing 750-spaces. The garage is accessed via ramps in the median of Jefferson Avenue and has a pedestrian entrance which provides direct access to the lower-level lounge of the auditorium.
The exterior shape of the building follows the form of its interior spaces with backstage and audience areas clearly visible. The sides of the building are clad in white marble to harmonize with the other buildings in the Civic Center Complex- the City-County Building
Coleman A. Young Municipal Center
The Coleman A. Young Municipal Center is a class-A office building in downtown Detroit, near Hart Plaza, One Detroit Center and the Renaissance Center. Originally called the City-County Building, it was renamed for former Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young, shortly after his death in 1997...
, Veterans Memorial Building
UAW-Ford National Programs Center
The UAW-Ford National Programs Center is a tall building in Hart Plaza, Downtown Detroit, Michigan. The high-rise building was constructed in 1948 as the Veterans Memorial Building. It stands at in height, with 10 above-ground floors...
and Cobo Hall and Arena. The Jefferson Avenue and river
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
facades are covered with a mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
-flecked blue granite in a basket-weave pattern.
In the curved foyer of the main level were three sculptures by local artist Marshall Fredericks
Marshall Fredericks
Marshall Maynard Fredericks was an American sculptor.-Biography:Fredericks was born of Scandinavian heritage in Rock Island, Illinois on January 31, 1908. His family moved to Florida for a short time and then settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where he grew up...
. On the curved wall above the main entrance is a 120-foot mural made of steel, copper and aluminum wire entitled Ford Empire which depicts the Ford Rouge Complex. Above the stairs to the balcony at the east end of the lobby was a piece entitled Harlequins, Ballerina and Orchestral Parade and above the west stairs was another piece entitled Harlequins and Circus Parade. The Ford Empire mural was moved to storage in 2003 and in 2007, the Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum at Saginaw Valley State University
Saginaw Valley State University
Saginaw Valley State University, commonly known as SVSU, is a state university in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the middle of Michigan's lower peninsula in the Saginaw Valley region. The university is located in Kochville Township, Saginaw County...
negotiated with the City of Detroit to have the two smaller pieces moved there.
On February 14, 1965, the auditorium served as a historical stage for Malcolm X
Malcolm X
Malcolm X , born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz , was an African American Muslim minister and human rights activist. To his admirers he was a courageous advocate for the rights of African Americans, a man who indicted white America in the harshest terms for its...
to deliver his last speech outside of New York before his death. He delivered his "Last Message" at the First Annual Dignity Projection and Scholarship Awards ceremony despite the firebombing of his Queens, New York home by the Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam is a mainly African-American new religious movement founded in Detroit, Michigan by Wallace D. Fard Muhammad in July 1930 to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African-Americans in the United States of America. The movement teaches black pride and...
that morning.
Demolition
Ford Auditorium was demolished July of 2011 at a cost of $754,000 as part of the city's waterfront redesign plans.Demolition of the Ford Auditorium began on July 9, 2011 after being delayed a month because the city found more asbestos than expected. The demolition is expected to complete by early August 2011 at a cost of $754,000.
Recording System
When first opened, the auditorium had a state-of-the-art recording system, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Paul ParayPaul Paray
Paul Paray was a French conductor, organist and composer. He is best remembered in the United States for being the resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for more than a decade. He married Yolande Falck on 25 August 1944.-Biography:Paray's father, Auguste, was a sculptor and organist...
made a number of recordings in the venue for Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. But it was also considered a very "dead" hall, with poor acoustics that resisted repeated attempts at improvement. After much discussion, the DSO returned to its former home, Orchestra Hall, in 1989. Ford Auditorium has seen little activity since, and by 1995, stopped accepting reservations for use of its facilities.
Organs
According to the Aeolian-SkinnerAeolian-Skinner
Æolian-Skinner Organ Company, Inc. — Æolian-Skinner of Boston, Massachusetts was an important American builder of a large number of notable pipe organs from its inception as the Skinner Organ Company in 1901 until its closure in 1972. Key figures were Ernest M. Skinner , Arthur Hudson Marks ,...
archives, the auditorium's large Aeolian-Skinner organ was still in the building as of 2006, but had been unused for some time. It was installed in 1957 at a cost of $100,000. Helderop Pipe Organs, along with a team of volunteers, began to dismantle the organ in late June 2011, and finished late July 4, 2011, the day before demolition was scheduled to begin. The city donated the organ to the congregation of nearby St. Aloysius Catholic Church which hopes to have the 2,800-pipe instrument installed and operating in about two years.
A smaller 1,200 pipe organ which operated from the same console has been given to the DSO who will use it to perform 17th and 18th century pieces in Orchestra Hall. A website has been setup with the complete documentation of the organ rescue and restoraton - www.aeolianskinner1324.com
External links
- Inside the abandoned Ford Auditorium at Detroiturbex.com