The Auditorium

Commissioned by Ferdinand Peck and produced by architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler--soon to be leaders of the Chicago School--in 1889, the Auditorium Building was a wondrous complex, housing a hotel, offices, stores, and a theater. Adler's engineering skills overcame the problem of a foundation that had to support an unevenly distributed weight; Sullivan designed the stunning theater, which was spanned by four elliptical arches studded with 3,500 incandescent electric lights and decorated with gold leaf. Adler created a hydraulic stage--with twenty-six lifts--and one of the first air-conditioning systems in a public building. Among the many design features in the interior of the Auditorium were murals, onyx, marble, open loggias, stained glass, filigreed vents, wainscoting, and bronze-plated posts. Scholars considered the Auditorium Building the most important single structure in Chicago. The Auditorium thrived until its closing in 1940. In 1946 Roosevelt University purchased the building, and the Auditorium Theatre Council restored the theater to its former glory. Today, the Auditorium Building is thriving as a showcase for major theatrical events, Roosevelt University concerts, and other events.

Goosebumps now on Disney+! Brooke's best friend, Zeke, has been given the lead role in the school play, "The Phantom." Zeke's totally into it. He loves dressing up in the grotesque phantom costume. And scaring the other members of the cast. Brooke thinks Zeke's getting a little too into it. But then really scary things start happening. A message appears on a piece of scenery: "The Phantom Strikes!" A stage light comes crashing down.Is someone trying to ruin the play?Or is there really a phantom living under the stage?

Modern concert halls and opera houses are now very specialized buildings with special acoustical characteristics. This book is an important resource for architects, engineers and auditorium technicians.