Morris A. Mechanic Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Morris A. Mechanic Theatre is a playhouse at 1 North Charles Street
that is part of the Charles Center
of Baltimore, Maryland
. The theatre was built by and named for owner Morris A. Mechanic who operated a number of theatres in the city.
who designed the building in a style he termed “functional expressionism”, also known as brutalism
. Mechanic chose the site formerly occupied by offices of The Baltimore Sun
.
Mechanic died while the building was under construction and the opening gala on January 16, 1967 was presided-over by his widow, actress Elaine Swann, Mayor Theodore McKeldin
and Eugene M. Feinblatt, chairman of the Baltimore Urban Renewal and Housing Agency. For many years, the theater was Baltimore’s primary venue to host touring Broadway plays and helped the city shed its reputation as a “lousy theatre town.” However in the 1980s and 1990s, producers felt that the theatre was too small and outdated to accommodate the larger shows of the era.
The theater ceased operation in 2004 when the restored Hippodrome Theatre
reopened. In 2005, Melvin and Benjamin Greenwald purchased the shuttered building for $6 million in 2005 with plans to renovate it into retail space and add a 10-story residential building on the east side. Preservationists disagreed with the Greenwalds’ assessment that there was “no historic integrity to the building” and urged that it be carefully adapted for reuse. The Baltimore Commission for Historical and Architecture Preservation held hearings in August 2007 and determined that the building should be granted landmark status.
On February 25, 2009, David S. Brown Enterprises unveiled a plan to add a 30-story tower that would house a 161-room hotel and 250 rental units. The former theater space would be converted to retail and a skylight installed to make it more welcoming to shoppers. Architect Dan Stuver said the design aimed to retain the building’s defining characteristics while adapting it to a new use. The plan did not contain cost estimates or details.
gear when viewed from above.
The exterior of the building is rough concrete that bears the markings from the wooden forms used to create the walls. The street entrance on Hopkins Plaza leads to a stairway that takes patrons to the lobby on the second floor. The exterior lobby wall is glass while interior walls have a faux wood finish or are covered with burnt-orange vinyl. The plaza-level entrance is framed by towers holding stairs and elevators to access the balcony. The stage house is clearly defined as a separate element attached to the auditorium.
In November 2009, the British newspaper Daily Mail
reported that Virtual Tourist.com named the Mechanic Theatre as number one in its list of the Top Ten ugliest buildings.
Maryland Route 139
Maryland Route 139, known locally for most of its existence as North Charles Street, runs through Baltimore City and through the Towson area of Baltimore County. On the north end it terminates at a traffic circle with Bellona Avenue near Interstate 695 and at the south end it terminates in Federal...
that is part of the Charles Center
Charles Center
Charles Center is a highrise apartment building located in Baltimore, Maryland. The building stands 385 feet/117 meters tall and contains 30 floors. The building was constructed in 1969 by developers Conklin + Rossant....
of Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The theatre was built by and named for owner Morris A. Mechanic who operated a number of theatres in the city.
History
Mechanic planned the theatre to replace the aging Ford’s Theatre which he purchased in 1929. He engaged architect John M. JohansenJohn M. Johansen
John MacLane Johansen is an architect and member of the Harvard Five. Johansen took an active role in the modern movement.- Early life :Johansen was born to two accomplished painters in New York in 1916...
who designed the building in a style he termed “functional expressionism”, also known as brutalism
Brutalist architecture
Brutalist architecture is a style of architecture which flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s, spawned from the modernist architectural movement.-The term "brutalism":...
. Mechanic chose the site formerly occupied by offices of The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
.
Mechanic died while the building was under construction and the opening gala on January 16, 1967 was presided-over by his widow, actress Elaine Swann, Mayor Theodore McKeldin
Theodore McKeldin
Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin , a member of the United States Republican Party, was the 53rd Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1951 to 1959....
and Eugene M. Feinblatt, chairman of the Baltimore Urban Renewal and Housing Agency. For many years, the theater was Baltimore’s primary venue to host touring Broadway plays and helped the city shed its reputation as a “lousy theatre town.” However in the 1980s and 1990s, producers felt that the theatre was too small and outdated to accommodate the larger shows of the era.
The theater ceased operation in 2004 when the restored Hippodrome Theatre
Hippodrome Theatre (Baltimore, Maryland)
The Hippodrome Theatre is a former vaudeville theater in Baltimore, Maryland. Built in 1914 for impresarios Pierce and Scheck, the 2300-seat theater was the foremost vaudeville house in Baltimore, as well as a movie theater. The Hippodrome was designed by Thomas White Lamb, one of the foremost...
reopened. In 2005, Melvin and Benjamin Greenwald purchased the shuttered building for $6 million in 2005 with plans to renovate it into retail space and add a 10-story residential building on the east side. Preservationists disagreed with the Greenwalds’ assessment that there was “no historic integrity to the building” and urged that it be carefully adapted for reuse. The Baltimore Commission for Historical and Architecture Preservation held hearings in August 2007 and determined that the building should be granted landmark status.
On February 25, 2009, David S. Brown Enterprises unveiled a plan to add a 30-story tower that would house a 161-room hotel and 250 rental units. The former theater space would be converted to retail and a skylight installed to make it more welcoming to shoppers. Architect Dan Stuver said the design aimed to retain the building’s defining characteristics while adapting it to a new use. The plan did not contain cost estimates or details.
Architecture
The Mechanic Theater consists of a square podium that houses retail space and an underground parking garage as part of the Charles Center. The fan-shaped auditorium that seats 1,614 sits on top of the podium and has a street-level entrance on Hopkins Plaza as well as a pedestrian bridge that connects to an elevated walkway leading to other buildings in Charles Center. Balconies are behind the orchestra seats and protrude beyond the exterior walls to give the building the appearance of a ratchetRatchet (device)
A ratchet is a device that allows continuous linear or rotary motion in only one direction while preventing motion in the opposite direction. Because most socket wrenches today use ratcheting handles, the term "ratchet" alone is often used to refer to a ratcheting wrench, and the terms "ratchet"...
gear when viewed from above.
The exterior of the building is rough concrete that bears the markings from the wooden forms used to create the walls. The street entrance on Hopkins Plaza leads to a stairway that takes patrons to the lobby on the second floor. The exterior lobby wall is glass while interior walls have a faux wood finish or are covered with burnt-orange vinyl. The plaza-level entrance is framed by towers holding stairs and elevators to access the balcony. The stage house is clearly defined as a separate element attached to the auditorium.
In November 2009, the British newspaper Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
reported that Virtual Tourist.com named the Mechanic Theatre as number one in its list of the Top Ten ugliest buildings.