[ad_1]
The show will be staged in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood: The historic doors of the Ramova Theater will reopen after a $30 million adaptive reuse renovation.
Built in 1929, this single-screen movie theater was known for its iconic neon red marquee and Spanish-style architecture until it closed in 1985. The theater had been dormant for decades, suffering water damage to its plaster ceiling and damage to its terracotta facade. It was not until 2021 that McHugh Construction began restoring the building. The ambitious project was designed by the O’Riley Office with funding from locals, city tax dollars, state grants and a historic landmark loan.
“When we first arrived on site, it was like a time capsule, the ticket booth was still in place, although the curtains were the same as the day they closed,” said Andrew Totten, vice president of McHugh Construction. His team hopes to save the theater’s historic legacy while adapting it to new demands and forms of entertainment.
The 36,000-square-foot project transforms the venue into an 1,800-seat concert hall with a craft brewery, taproom and second-floor event space for 200 people. Lamoine’s hacienda aesthetic has been revived, restoring buff stucco walls, bronze wrought-iron windows and balconies, midnight blue painted ceilings and clay tile roofs. However, modern additions are also on display.
Instead of the velvet seats of the old cinema, the venue now features a spacious stage. There are also several bars behind the auditorium. The balcony on the second floor of the concert hall was also restored to provide a clearer view of the stage.
Built by local craftsmen and contractors, the new Ramoi Theater also provides space for community members. The venue’s second floor provides gathering space for community groups and local schools, as well as performance space for smaller artists. The theater’s parking lot is also expected to be used for farmers markets and community events.
McHugh’s decades of restoration experience made the project a success. Totten added: “We know exactly how and when to save, conserve, rebuild and start over, just as we cast the remaining pottery fragments from the building and recreate them.”
Beyond aesthetics, the restoration also required Ramova to adapt to the needs of a new generation of artists. As part of the design process, artists were consulted to understand their needs. “We wanted to create a place where they would want to come and perform,” said developer Tyler Nevius.
The new concert hall features new spotlights and a new speaker system to amplify instruments and voices on stage. Behind the scenes, a new green room features four artist suites with full bathrooms, a tour manager’s office, and a circulation lane for tour vehicles to protect artists from paparazzi. The new facility has attracted A-list stars such as rapper Chance, who will perform at the venue later this month.
The revamped Ramoi Theater reopened on December 31 last year, inviting the community back. “It’s rewarding to see all the dynamic uses coming together in this place to create a true community anchor,” Totten reflects.
Correction: A previous version of this article did not mention the name of the restoration architect, O’Riley Office. This article was updated on February 8, 2024, to reflect contributions from O’Riley Office.
[ad_2]
Source link