Paramount Theatre (Boston, Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Paramount Theatre is a Boston theatre located on Washington Street, between Avery and West Streets.
. It closed in 1976 and most of the Art Deco interior decoration was destroyed in the 1980s during the removal of asbestos.
In 2002, Millennium Partners agreed to restore the Paramount's facade, marquee, and vertical sign in exchange for city approval of their adjacent Ritz-Carlton
Towers project. The city occasionally lights the sign at night. The city's hopes that the site would be developed by the Cambridge-based American Repertory Theater were not fulfilled.
In April 2005, Emerson College
announced plans to renovate the Paramount Theatre and build a performing arts facility in and around the original building. The $77 million project involved the renovation of the building and adjacent parcels of land into a complex containing a 550-seat theater, a Performance Development Center, a student residence hall, a 125-seat black box theater, a 200-seat film screening room, eight rehearsal studios ranging from 700 square feet (65 m²) to 1900 square feet (176.5 m²), six practice rooms for individuals and small groups, a sound stage for film production classes, a scene shop, several classrooms, a restaurant, and up to a dozen offices for faculty and staff. Design was by Elkus Manfredi Architects, Boston.
Acentech Incorporated consulted on the acoustical design of the facility, providing guidance on room acoustics, sound isolation between the stacked spaces on the tight urban site, and mechanical system noise control in the historic building.
The project was completed in the fall of 2008. On March 18, 2010, Emerson College celebrated the grand opening of the Paramount Theater with Mayor Thomas Menino
. Emerson has scheduled its professional arts programming to begin in September 2010.
History
The Paramount opened in 1932 as a 1700-hundred-seat, single-screen movie theatre. It was one of the first movie houses in Boston to play talking motion pictures. The theatre was named after its original owner, Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. It closed in 1976 and most of the Art Deco interior decoration was destroyed in the 1980s during the removal of asbestos.
In 2002, Millennium Partners agreed to restore the Paramount's facade, marquee, and vertical sign in exchange for city approval of their adjacent Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
Towers project. The city occasionally lights the sign at night. The city's hopes that the site would be developed by the Cambridge-based American Repertory Theater were not fulfilled.
In April 2005, Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
announced plans to renovate the Paramount Theatre and build a performing arts facility in and around the original building. The $77 million project involved the renovation of the building and adjacent parcels of land into a complex containing a 550-seat theater, a Performance Development Center, a student residence hall, a 125-seat black box theater, a 200-seat film screening room, eight rehearsal studios ranging from 700 square feet (65 m²) to 1900 square feet (176.5 m²), six practice rooms for individuals and small groups, a sound stage for film production classes, a scene shop, several classrooms, a restaurant, and up to a dozen offices for faculty and staff. Design was by Elkus Manfredi Architects, Boston.
Acentech Incorporated consulted on the acoustical design of the facility, providing guidance on room acoustics, sound isolation between the stacked spaces on the tight urban site, and mechanical system noise control in the historic building.
The project was completed in the fall of 2008. On March 18, 2010, Emerson College celebrated the grand opening of the Paramount Theater with Mayor Thomas Menino
Thomas Menino
Thomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
. Emerson has scheduled its professional arts programming to begin in September 2010.