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07/2005 |
Glam Historic Tennessee
Theatre Returns to Knoxville Team takes advantage of tax credit program to complete vision |
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Taking their cues from the Grand Dame’s eclectic mix of styles, the design team of historic architectural consultants Westlake Reed Leskosky and prime architect McCarty Holsaple McCarty Inc, restored, expanded, and modernized the glamorous Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville to fulfill its vision as a multi-use performance venue. To execute their plans for the former movie palace and official state theater of Tennessee, the architects worked with the site’s urban context, preserved traffic flow as they extended the three-story stage house to the property line, and kept respect for a neighboring historic cemetery. They accomplished all this while adhering to strict guidelines for taking advantage of historic tax credits. The iconic Spanish-Moorish 1928 movie theater by Chicago architects Graven & Mayger was once also a vaudeville stage and a venue for celebrity entertainers such as Fanny Brice, Glenn Miller, and Desi Arnaz. The Tennessee operated continuously as the primary venue in Knoxville until patrons moved to the suburbs in the 1970s. Dick Broadcasting purchased the Tennessee in 1981, and it became the home to the Knoxville Opera and Symphony Orchestra. With Czechoslovakian crystals in French-style chandeliers, Italian terrazzo flooring in the grand lobby, and Oriental influences in the carpeting and draperies, it was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1996, the owner donated the Tennessee to the Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation, a nonprofit organization created specifically to preserve the theater in its entirety.
The architects also upgraded the theatrical systems for contemporary productions, including new rigging and theatrical lighting and controls. They also made modifications for accessibility and improved patron amenities.
Taking advantage of tax credits The architects say that the project’s funding variability allowed for enhancements as more monies became available. In addition, preservation experts at Westlake Reed Leskosky navigated the historic renovation tax credit requirements, an exhaustive process that set the bar extremely high to be compatible with the standards. The designers did their due diligence on all of the proposed changes and were in continuous communication and dialogue with the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service, as each alteration became a condition of funding. “The external scrutiny was very high,” Westlake says. “Every little change was disclosed and reviewed.”
Copyright 2005 The American Institute of Architects.
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