THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE
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Auditorium Theatre influenced by Richardson's Romanesque Revival style presenting opera performances and international stars.
The Auditorium Theatre was designed by architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, assisted by student Frank Lloyd Wright. The building bears the Romanesque Revival influence of Richardson, who also built Marshall Field's, a little further north in the Loop. Built between 1887 and 1889, it was conceived as a city within a city, and housed a theater, hotel and offices, the latter two built in part to qualify for theater funding. The tower along Congress Parkway marks the entrance to the theater and adds a few floors of office space with panoramic views. Adler and Sullivan set up their practice on the upper floors. At the time, the building was considered an example of interior space utilization, producing excellent acoustics, while incorporating new electric lighting technology in the ceilings. The Auditorium marks a turning point in Sullivan's career. His signature can be seen in the ornamental details of the wrought-iron doors. For modern architecture, it was a major step towards its future development. The entrance at the time was open to the outside; today, it has been somewhat remodeled with a glass structure. In 1946, the Auditorium Theatre was purchased by Roosevelt University. The theater closed in the 1930s for lack of funds; it reopened in 1968 to present opera and international stars such as Mark Knopfler, Alanis Morissette and Robert Plant.
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