Bridges Auditorium Explained

Mabel Shaw Bridges Music Auditorium
Image Alt:Bridges Auditorium
Alternate Names:Big Bridges
Building Type:Auditorium
Architectural Style:Renaissance Revival[1]
Address:450 N. College Way
Location City:Claremont, California
Location Country:United States
Coordinates:34.0981°N -117.7122°W
Namesake:Mabel Shaw Bridges
Start Date:1930[2]
Completion Date:1931
Opened Date:1932
Renovation Date:1975
Destruction Date:-->
Cost:$650,000[3]
Owner:Pomona College
Height:28.9m (94.8feet)
Material:Steel, reinforced concrete
Architect:William Templeton Johnson
Unit Count:-->
Seating Capacity:2494

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.

History

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.[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. The Los Angeles Philharmonic frequently performed there.

The auditorium was renovated from 1975 to 1977 for seismic retrofitting and cosmetic repairs.[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 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

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, 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; 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. There are no supporting columns, allowing all seats to have unobstructed views of the NaNfeet proscenium.

The basement has a historical exhibit.[18]

Ceiling

A mural by Italian-American artist John B. Smeraldi covers the 22000square feet parabolic domed ceiling of the auditorium. It depicts a variety of constellations in silver and gold leaf[19] against a pale blue background.

Usage

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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: About Bridges Auditorium . Pomona College . 18 September 2020 . en . . 24 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210624195632/https://www.pomona.edu/administration/bridges-auditorium/about . live .
  2. Web site: 1931 . Pomona College Timeline . Pomona College . 18 September 2020 . en . 7 November 2014 . 7 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200807044703/https://www.pomona.edu/timeline/1930s/1931 . live .
  3. Book: Harth . Marjorie L. . Marjorie L. Harth . Pomona College: Reflections on a campus . 2007 . Pomona College . Claremont, Calif. . 978-0-9786996-5-9 . 100–103.
  4. News: Allen . David . Bridges Hall of Music hits right notes for 100 years . 4 August 2020 . . 3 October 2015 . 22 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200922140741/https://www.dailybulletin.com/2015/10/03/bridges-hall-of-music-hits-right-notes-for-100-years/ . live .
  5. News: Neiuber . John . Bring life back to the Village with walking tour . 7 August 2020 . . 2 June 2020 . 13 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200813054141/https://www.claremont-courier.com/articles/opinion/t37911tour . dead .
  6. News: Colleges plan new buildings . 18 September 2020 . . 7 Sep 1928 . 36 . en.
  7. News: Rhodes . Mick . Colleges put Claremont in the spotlight . 4 August 2020 . . 22 August 2017 . 29 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200929095744/https://www.claremont-courier.com/education/t24595-spotlight . dead .
  8. Web site: 1975 . Pomona College Timeline . Pomona College . 18 September 2020 . 7 November 2014 . 9 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200809055207/https://www.pomona.edu/timeline/1970s/1975 . live .
  9. News: Gordon . Larry . A departure sadly noted . 18 September 2020 . . 21 April 2008 . 15 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200815195104/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-apr-21-me-fiske21-story.html . live .
  10. Web site: 1994 . Pomona College Timeline . Pomona College . 18 September 2020 . 7 November 2014 . 7 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200807041803/https://www.pomona.edu/timeline/1990s/1994 . live .
  11. Web site: 2007 . Pomona College Timeline . Pomona College . 18 September 2020 . 7 November 2014 . 5 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210305050310/https://www.pomona.edu/timeline/2000s/2007 . live .
  12. Web site: Pomona College 2015 Campus Master Plan . Pomona College . 7 August 2020 . 1 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210801161931/https://www.pomona.edu/sites/default/files/pomona_master_plan.pdf . live .
  13. Web site: Pomona College 2015 Campus Master Plan Recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report . City of Claremont . 8 August 2020 . 25 May 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180525212732/http://www.ci.claremont.ca.us/home/showdocument?id=1711 . live .
  14. News: Neiuber . John . The National Register of Historic Places . 7 August 2020 . . 13 January 2017 . 17 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210617055555/https://www.claremont-courier.com/articles/opinion/t21783-neiuber . dead .
  15. News: Finkel . Jori . James Turrell on Burning Bridges, part of January's PST festival . 18 September 2020 . . 18 January 2012 . 6 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200806101947/https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2012/01/james-turrell-on-burning-bridges.html . live .
  16. News: Allen . David . Who really composed Frank Zappa prank of the '70s? . 31 August 2020 . . 9 February 2013 . 24 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220124014439/https://www.dailybulletin.com/2013/02/09/who-really-composed-frank-zappa-prank-of-the-70s/ . live .
  17. News: Kendall . Mark . A Carefully Calculated Caper . 31 August 2020 . Pomona College Magazine . Fall 2012 . Pomona College . 16–19 . 14 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190714152914/http://magazine.pomona.edu/wp-content/uploads/images/pdf/2012-fall.pdf . live .
  18. News: Wood . Mark . Big Bridges Hall of Fame . 18 September 2020 . Pomona College Magazine . Pomona College . 28 June 2017 . 24 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171024110558/http://magazine.pomona.edu/2017/summer/big-bridges-hall-of-fame/ . live .
  19. Web site: John B. Smeraldi . Bridges Auditorium - Pomona College . . 18 September 2020.
  20. Web site: Movies and Television at Bridges Auditorium . Pomona College . 18 September 2020 . 7 April 2015 . 20 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210620075148/https://www.pomona.edu/administration/bridges-auditorium/about/movies-tv . live .