Morris A. Mechanic Theatre

Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in 2008

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.

History

Mechanic planned the theatre to replace the aging Ford’s Theatre which he purchased in 1929. He engaged architect John M. Johansen 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as a “lousy theatre town.”^[1] However in the 1980s and 1990s, producers felt that the theatre was too small and outdated to accommodate the larger shows of the era.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

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 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 reported that Virtual Tourist.com named the Mechanic Theatre as number one in its list of the Top Ten ugliest buildings.^[5]

References

1. ^ Elizabeth Schaaf (2005). "Morris A. Mechanic Theatre". Maryland Online Encyclopedia. mdoe.org. http://www.mdoe.org/theatmechanic.html. Retrieved January 20, 2011. 
2. ^ "Morris A. Mechanic Theatre". The Baltimore Sun-Entertainment. http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/entertainment/theater/morris-a.-mechanic-theatre-PLCUL000190.topic. Retrieved January 20, 2011. 
3. ^ David Sadighan (August 10, 2007). "Brutal Overhaul for Baltimore’s Mechanic Theater?". Architectural Record. http://archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/070810mechanic.asp. Retrieved January 20, 2011. 
4. ^ Daniel J. Sernovitz (February 25, 2009). "David S. Brown Enterprises to unveil latest plans for Mechanic Theater project". Baltimore Business Journal (bizjournals.com). http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2009/02/23/daily37.html. Retrieved January 20, 2011. 
5. ^ Sarah Gordon (November 20, 2009). "Top ten ugliest buildings in the world unveiled-and many are in our most beautiful cities". Daily Mail (dailymail.co.uk). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1229540/Top-ugliest-buildings-world-unveiled--beautiful-cities.html. Retrieved January 20, 2011.