The Mabel Shaw Bridges Music Auditorium, more commonly known as Bridges Auditorium or Big Bridges (to distinguish it from nearby Bridges Hall of Music, known as Little Bridges[4]), is a 2500-seat auditorium at Pomona College in Claremont, California, United States. It was designed by William Templeton Johnson and opened in 1932. It hosts a variety of performances for the college and outside groups.
| Mabel Shaw Bridges Music Auditorium | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Big Bridges |
| General information | |
| Type | Auditorium |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival[1] |
| Address | 450 N. College Way |
| Town or city | Claremont, California |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 34°05′53″N 117°42′44″W / 34.09806°N 117.71222°W |
| Named for | Mabel Shaw Bridges |
| Construction started | 1930[2] |
| Completed | 1931[2] |
| Opened | 1932[1] |
| Renovated | 1975[1] |
| Cost | $650,000[3] |
| Owner | Pomona College |
| Height | 28.9 m (95 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Steel, reinforced concrete[3] |
| Floor area | 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | William Templeton Johnson[1] |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 2494[1] |
| Public transit access | Claremont  |
| Website | |
| pomona | |
History
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The auditorium was built as a joint project of the Claremont Colleges consortium. It was sponsored by Appleton and Amelia (nee Timken) Bridges, the parents of Mabel Shaw Bridges, a student in Pomona's class of 1908 who died of illness in her junior year,[5] and H.H. Timken, president of the Timken Roller Bearing Company.[2][6]
From its completion until the opening of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1964, it was arguably the premier destination of choice for prominent visitors to Southern California.[7] It was also the largest collegiate auditorium on the West Coast, with a capacity nearly twice that of Pomona and equal to that of the city of Claremont.[2] The Los Angeles Philharmonic frequently performed there.[7]
The auditorium was renovated from 1975 to 1977 for seismic retrofitting and cosmetic repairs.[1][8] In 2007, control was transferred from the consortium to Pomona individually.[9][10][11]
Pomona's 2015 master plan classifies Big Bridges as a "building notable for establishing the distinctive context" of the college, and describes it as a symbol of the college's regional civic engagement.[12] A 2015 environmental impact report from the college identifies it as eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places,[13] although as of 2020[update] the college has not yet applied for it to be listed. John Neiuber, writing for the Claremont Courier in 2017, expressed surprise it is not listed.[14]
Architecture
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Big Bridges is the primary visual anchor point for the east side of Marston Quadrangle, the center of Pomona's campus. It was constructed in a Renaissance Revival style modeled after northern Italy,[1] and incorporates Art Deco elements.[5] It has large porticos on its front and sides with arched columns,[15] and a large formally adorned foyer inside the main entrance. The building's frieze features the names of five eminent composers;[2] it was the target of a famous 1975 prank in which the one for Frédéric Chopin was replaced with one honoring Frank Zappa.[16][8][17]
The auditorium has a capacity of 2,494 people, including a 500-seat cantilevered balcony.[1] There are no supporting columns, allowing all seats to have unobstructed views of the 62-by-36-foot (19 m × 11 m) proscenium.[2]
The basement has a historical exhibit.[18]
Ceiling
edit| External image | |
|---|---|
 Interior of Big Bridges, showing the ceiling mural |
A mural by Italian-American artist John B. Smeraldi covers the 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) parabolic domed ceiling of the auditorium.[1] It depicts a variety of constellations in silver and gold leaf[19] against a pale blue background.[2]
Usage
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Big Bridges hosts a variety of events and performances for the college, including orientation sessions, concerts, and guest speaker lectures. The college also rents the auditorium to outside groups. A number of films and television shows have used the auditorium as a set.[20]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i "About Bridges Auditorium". Pomona College. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g "1931". Pomona College Timeline. Pomona College. 7 November 2014. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ a b Harth, Marjorie L. (2007). Pomona College: Reflections on a campus. Claremont, Calif.: Pomona College. pp. 100–103. ISBN 978-0-9786996-5-9.
- ^ Allen, David (3 October 2015). "Bridges Hall of Music hits right notes for 100 years". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ a b Neiuber, John (2 June 2020). "Bring life back to the Village with walking tour". Claremont Courier. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Colleges plan new buildings". Los Angeles Times. 7 Sep 1928. p. 36. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ a b Rhodes, Mick (22 August 2017). "Colleges put Claremont in the spotlight". Claremont Courier. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ a b "1975". Pomona College Timeline. Pomona College. 7 November 2014. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ Gordon, Larry (21 April 2008). "A departure sadly noted". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "1994". Pomona College Timeline. Pomona College. 7 November 2014. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "2007". Pomona College Timeline. Pomona College. 7 November 2014. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "Pomona College 2015 Campus Master Plan" (PDF). Pomona College. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Pomona College 2015 Campus Master Plan Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report". City of Claremont. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- ^ Neiuber, John (13 January 2017). "The National Register of Historic Places". Claremont Courier. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ Finkel, Jori (18 January 2012). "James Turrell on Burning Bridges, part of January's PST festival". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ Allen, David (9 February 2013). "Who really composed Frank Zappa prank of the '70s?". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
- ^ Kendall, Mark. "A Carefully Calculated Caper" (PDF). Pomona College Magazine. No. Fall 2012. Pomona College. pp. 16–19. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
- ^ Wood, Mark (28 June 2017). "Big Bridges Hall of Fame". Pomona College Magazine. Pomona College. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "John B. Smeraldi". Bridges Auditorium - Pomona College. Facebook. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ "Movies and Television at Bridges Auditorium". Pomona College. 7 April 2015. Archived from the original on 20 June 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
External links
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