Municipal Auditorium
Encyclopedia
Municipal Auditorium is a large, multi-purpose facility in Kansas City, Missouri
with three halls: The Arena, Music Hall, and Little Theatre. It opened in 1936 and features Streamline Moderne
and Art Deco
architecture and architectural details.
and Thomas Pendergast. Other buildings in the plan included the Kansas City City Hall
and the Kansas City branch of the Jackson County Courthouse.
It replaced Convention Hall
which was directly across the street and was torn down for parking in what is now called the Barney Allis Plaza.
The streamline moderne architecture was designed by the lead architectural firm of Gentry, Voskamp & Neville to appeal to new visitors with cool and confident restraint. True to its name, the style promised to envelop the visitor in modernity, assuring him/her that Kansas City was a rising star in the country, a place to recommend to friends and colleagues. Alonzo H. Gentry, of the lead architectural firm of Gentry, Voskamp & Neville, was to later design the Truman Library. Hoit, Price & Barnes, the associated architects responsible for the HVAC work at the Municipal Auditorium, had recently designed the Art Deco skyscraper, the Kansas City Power and Light Building
(completed in 1931).
When the building opened in 1935, it was called by the Architectural Record
"one of the 10 best buildings of the world that year" In 2000, the Princeton Architectural Press called it one of the 500 most important architectural works in the United States.
Municipal Auditorium is connected to the H. Roe Bartle Convention Center by way of skywalks over 13th and Central streets. An underground walkway through a public parking garage provides access to the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, Holiday Inn Aladdin Hotel, and the Folly Theater
.
Gallery
tournament since 2003, held every year in early March. When Kansas City hosts the Big 12 tournament, women's games take place here. It is currently home to the NAIA
Men's Division I Basketball National Tournament. It was played here from 1937
-1975
, when it moved into Kemper Arena, and has been home since the Tournament moved back to Kansas City from Tulsa in 2002
.
As of 2007, Municipal Auditorium had hosted more NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
games (83), regional finals (13) and Final Fours (9) than any other facility. The arena also hosted three of the first four Final Fours, but has not hosted a tournament game since 1964. As of 2010, the University of Dayton Arena
will tie Municipal Auditorium in number of games hosted as that arena hosts the opening round game of the NCAA tournament.
The 19,500-seat Kemper Arena
was built in 1974 to accommodate Kansas City's professional basketball teams that had been playing at the Auditorium. The Kansas City Kings
played their first two seasons at the Auditorium, then returned for the majority of the 1979-80 season after the roof of Kemper Arena caved in on June 4, 1979.
It was home to the University of Missouri–Kansas City
Kangaroos basketball
team
until they moved their games to the Swinney Recreation Center on campus in fall 2010. Since January 2009, it has been the home of the Kansas City Roller Warriors
roller derby
league.
, opera
and ballet
companies, and other events. It was the main hall of the Kansas City Philharmonic for several decades. It's also the home of the 1927 Robert-Morton Theatre Pipe Organ that originally was in the Kansas City Midland Theatre. The organ is owned and maintained by Kansas City Theatre Pipe Organ, Inc.
with a capacity for 400, or banquet seating for 225 available for catered events, and a private balcony room for up to 36 guests.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
with three halls: The Arena, Music Hall, and Little Theatre. It opened in 1936 and features Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
architecture and architectural details.
Background
Municipal Auditorium was one of the buildings built in 1934 as part of a "Ten Year Plan" championed by various local politicians including Harry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
and Thomas Pendergast. Other buildings in the plan included the Kansas City City Hall
Kansas City City Hall
The City Hall of Kansas City, Missouri, is the official seat of government for the city of Kansas City, Missouri. It is a 29-story skyscraper located in downtown Kansas City, and has an observation deck on the top of it...
and the Kansas City branch of the Jackson County Courthouse.
It replaced Convention Hall
Convention Hall
Convention Hall was a convention center in Kansas City, Missouri that hosted the 1900 Democratic National Convention and 1928 Republican National Convention.It was designed by Frederick E...
which was directly across the street and was torn down for parking in what is now called the Barney Allis Plaza.
The streamline moderne architecture was designed by the lead architectural firm of Gentry, Voskamp & Neville to appeal to new visitors with cool and confident restraint. True to its name, the style promised to envelop the visitor in modernity, assuring him/her that Kansas City was a rising star in the country, a place to recommend to friends and colleagues. Alonzo H. Gentry, of the lead architectural firm of Gentry, Voskamp & Neville, was to later design the Truman Library. Hoit, Price & Barnes, the associated architects responsible for the HVAC work at the Municipal Auditorium, had recently designed the Art Deco skyscraper, the Kansas City Power and Light Building
Kansas City Power and Light Building
The Kansas City Power and Light Building is a landmark skyscraper located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri...
(completed in 1931).
When the building opened in 1935, it was called by the Architectural Record
Architectural Record
Architectural Record is an American monthly magazine dedicated to architecture and interior design, published by McGraw-Hill Construction in New York City. It is over 110 years old...
"one of the 10 best buildings of the world that year" In 2000, the Princeton Architectural Press called it one of the 500 most important architectural works in the United States.
Municipal Auditorium is connected to the H. Roe Bartle Convention Center by way of skywalks over 13th and Central streets. An underground walkway through a public parking garage provides access to the Kansas City Marriott Downtown, Holiday Inn Aladdin Hotel, and the Folly Theater
Folly Theater
The Standard Theatre, now known as the Folly Theater and also known as the Century Theater and Shubert's Missouri, is a former vaudeville hall in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Built in 1900, it was designed by Kansas City architect Louis S. Curtiss...
.
Gallery
Arena
The Arena, nicknamed "Municipal," has hosted the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationMid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association is a college athletic conference which operates in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and effective in 2012 in Oklahoma in the Midwestern United States. The conference was formerly known as the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic...
tournament since 2003, held every year in early March. When Kansas City hosts the Big 12 tournament, women's games take place here. It is currently home to the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Men's Division I Basketball National Tournament. It was played here from 1937
1937 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-3rd place game:The third place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.-References:...
-1975
1975 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1975 NAIA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. The 38th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format ....
, when it moved into Kemper Arena, and has been home since the Tournament moved back to Kansas City from Tulsa in 2002
2002 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2002 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. This was the first NAIA tournament back in Kansas City since 1993. The NAIA headquarters also relocated to Olathe, Kansas this year.The 65th annual NAIA...
.
As of 2007, Municipal Auditorium had hosted more NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
games (83), regional finals (13) and Final Fours (9) than any other facility. The arena also hosted three of the first four Final Fours, but has not hosted a tournament game since 1964. As of 2010, the University of Dayton Arena
University of Dayton Arena
University of Dayton Arena is a 13,455-seat multi-purpose arena in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams....
will tie Municipal Auditorium in number of games hosted as that arena hosts the opening round game of the NCAA tournament.
The 19,500-seat Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena
Kemper Arena is a 19,500 seat indoor arena, in Kansas City, Missouri.It is named for R. Crosby Kemper Sr., a member of the powerful Kemper financial clan and who donated $3.2 million, from his estate for the arena...
was built in 1974 to accommodate Kansas City's professional basketball teams that had been playing at the Auditorium. The Kansas City Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
played their first two seasons at the Auditorium, then returned for the majority of the 1979-80 season after the roof of Kemper Arena caved in on June 4, 1979.
It was home to the University of Missouri–Kansas City
University of Missouri–Kansas City
The University of Missouri–Kansas City is a public university located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It is a branch of the University of Missouri System. Its main campus is in Kansas City's Rockhill neighborhood east of the Country Club Plaza...
Kangaroos basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
until they moved their games to the Swinney Recreation Center on campus in fall 2010. Since January 2009, it has been the home of the Kansas City Roller Warriors
Kansas City Roller Warriors
The Kansas City Roller Warriors are a roller derby league in Kansas City, Missouri. The league, founded in 2004, is composed of four member teams for play within the league and two travel teams that represent the league in competition with other leagues...
roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
league.
Music Hall
The Kansas City Music Hall is a large proscenium theatre with a striking Streamline Modern interior that seats an audience of 2,400 patrons. The hall presents touring Broadway shows, as well as visiting symphony orchestrasOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
companies, and other events. It was the main hall of the Kansas City Philharmonic for several decades. It's also the home of the 1927 Robert-Morton Theatre Pipe Organ that originally was in the Kansas City Midland Theatre. The organ is owned and maintained by Kansas City Theatre Pipe Organ, Inc.
Little Theatre
The Little Theatre is an elegant octogonal ballroomBallroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
with a capacity for 400, or banquet seating for 225 available for catered events, and a private balcony room for up to 36 guests.