This great Atlanta neighborhood just can't support this space - but I hope I'm wrong. Maybe you have an idea?

It had been wide open day and night so I finally walked in on February 27, asked if I could take some pictures. I love theaters and then there's the roof. This may be the only way you'll ever see inside.

Folks are renovating the storefronts between Atkins Park Restaurant and Surin of Thailand where Ben and Jerry's, Starbucks, and Key Lime Pie were. Curbed wrote about it: Empty Va-Hi Spaces May Fill Soon. But About That Theater…


"A December 4, 1937, Boxoffice magazine obituary of Atlanta showman Louis Bach says that he built the Hilan Theatre in 1933

"A few years after the theatre closed in 1969, it became the home of the Metropolitan Community Church." Currently ... ice cream parlor (Ben and Jerry's) and coffee shop (Starbucks) reside(d) in the space once occupied by the Hilan’s entrance and lobby." - First Metropolitan Community Church


Did you know it was theater?


From the Dark Horse in the back of Surin you can see the big boxy thing where the auditorium is.


From North Highland there's a long corridor back to the theater.


I think they renovated the auditorium hoping to attract the Cotton Club. What with parking, noise, and late night rock and rollers the neighborhood didn't go for it. The Cotton Club moved to the basement of the Tabernacle.


All dressed up and no place to go: Terrific renovation. They removed the sloped floor, there's a dance floor, a mezzanine, and a balcony, two bars.


From the behind the balcony bar.


They kept the good parts.


The proscenium style stage has it own behind-the-band balcony.


I took this from the southern Juliet balcony.

Maybe these will help give you a sense of the space.
Panoramic video from the center stage 30 seconds.
Panoramic video from the southern Juliet balcony 24 seconds.

Then there's the roof!


There are two levels of rooftops up there.


The first level.


Looking down on North Highland. I want to party here.


There's another level.


Yeah...


I want to party here too.


To the north "Wolfmother" Mural by Matt Haffner commissioned by whitespace.


To the east the steeple of Druid Hills Methodist designed by Ivey and Crook


To the south the lantern at Druild Hills Baptist designed by Edward Bennett Dougherty


To the southwest Druid Hills Presbyterian designed by Francis Palmer Smith.


Now you know.

Atlanta seemed so full of theaters then.

"The (gloATL) tour concluded Friday and Saturday in the organizations’ home city of Atlanta, where the artists repeated similar activities, centering on photographic murals and a performative installation at the historic Rhodes Theater."  - ArtsATL by Andrew Alexander

I grew up with two theaters. In Atlanta I could see everything, movies I never heard of. There were six theaters in Midtown close to Georgia Tech.


You can still see movies at the Fox once in a while. The Rhodes is the only other one standing. It's still standing but hollowed out, in the shadow of an I-75 entrance ramp.

I saw the Atlanta premier of Woodstock at the Rhodes. I saw Cries and Whispers there too. I preferred Woodstock.


In 1975 I saw Bergman's Magic Flute at the Rhodes. I thought that would be the last time.


"It was a beloved Atlanta landmark single-screen cinema, the flagship of the Storey chain, before closing in 1985." - ArtsATL by Andrew Alexander


The gloATL folks performed in the Rhodes November 8-10, 2013.



You can't tell it was a theater. It looks 1-story yet seems colossal, clever design by Ivey and Crook.


Everything "theater" is gone.


The screen was down there. Was there a stage? I don't remember.


The lobby was on the other side of that wall. There wasn't a balcony,


The arches are still there.


The cornice is still there.


gloATL performed inside.


Music, dance by gloATL, projections by Living Walls, photographic murals by Dustin Chambers.


I'm a gloATL fan and I like this sort of thing. I'm fidgety and at glo performances I don't have to stay put.


The dancers danced everywhere, the music sounded great everywhere.


The babies enjoyed it.


I couldn't take it all in.


This was probably my last look and last listen at the Rhodes, but who knows?


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I doubt Atlanta has many weeks like this. I am moved. Were you here too?

These deserve research, deep thought, analysis, and opinion. But I'm not blogger enough right now.

Hulse Residence:

Jim Winner tipped me about the demolition the Hulse House in Ansley Park. Designed by Anthony Ames (1984?).


I told Joe Dreher who'd studied this house while pursuing his architecture degree. We kind-of covered it. Joe has some wrenching but fascinating videos of the demo.

Rhodes Theater:

 

gloATL and Living Walls opened the Rhodes Theater for the weekend. It was "The Traveling Show Town Six." I'm standing where the screen was, looking towards where the the lobby was. Designed by Ivey and Crook (1937).


I dropped in on Thursday night to see a rehearsal (above) with Rhodes Hall glowing from across the street. I caught the wonderful Friday night performance too: music, projections, and dance in this gutted but still impressive space.

Randolph-Lucas House:


 
The Randolph-Lucas house moved this week. On Thursday, they took the second floor off. Designed by P. Thornton Mayre (Completed 1924).


It's journey to Peachtree Circle started with an impromptu street and house party about 1 a.m. Saturday morning.

What a week. Were you there too?