Olympia Theater and Office Building

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Olympia Theater and Office Building
Miami FL Downtown HD Olympia Theater01.jpg
Olympia Theater and Office Building is located in Florida
Olympia Theater and Office Building
Location 174 East Flagler Street, Miami, Florida
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Area less than one acre
Built 1925 (1925)
Architect John Eberson
Architectural style Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
NRHP Reference # 84000839[1]
Added to NRHP March 8, 1984

The Olympia Theater and Office Building is a historic theater in Miami, Florida. It is located at 174 East Flagler Street. The original architect was theatre designer John Eberson, in his 'atmospheric' style. The Olympia is similar to the Tampa Theatre, also designed by Eberson a short time later; the two are the only surviving atmospheric theaters in Florida.[2]

History

The Olympia Theater opened on February 18, 1926, and as an atmospheric theater it treated its patrons to a simulated Spanish garden, surrounded on three sides by the walls of a villa. Elaborately equipped, it was said to have been the first theater in the South to have air conditioning. The building used Mediterranean elements in its design, though the style was popular in South Florida, it was not typically used on buildings as tall as the ten-story Olympia office building.[2]

Presenting silent films at its opening, the Olympia was soon used for talkies and Vaudeville. The Olympia hosted performances by Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Luciano Pavarotti and Etta James. The rock band, The Police, played the Olympia Theater on October 26, 1979 on the tour for their 2nd album Regatta De Blanc. The show was broadcast on radio and also filmed and shown on TV in the United Kingdom. The building went into a period of decline in the 1970s and 1980s. After several renovations it is again in use as an entertainment center.[3]

Significance

On March 8, 1984, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as an outstanding example of atmospheric theater design, and for its Mediterranean Revival architecture.[2] On April 18, 2012, the American Institute of Architects's Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places as the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts.[4]

References

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  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. 14 Photos
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Includes the full list

External links

  • Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
  • Official website