an afternoon photographing ganz hall (formerly known as the banquet hall) in the auditorium building

the gallery below contains a small collection of images taken of ganz hall (originally the banquet hall) at the auditorium building while i attended the lecture given by the architecture firm booth hansen.

i must admit, i was much more consumed with processing sullivan's design elements than focusing my attention on the lecture itself. i'm not going to step onto a soapbox and reflect on, or pick apart the lecture. instead, i'm going to share a few thoughts on my experience in this magnificent room.

although i was in absolute awe with the distinctive hanging electroliers and how they carried the room, it was hard to overcome the fact that they were faithful reproductions, which was the focal point of the lecture.

setting aside the purist mindset (which is difficult to do), the fixtures, reproduction or otherwise, no doubt defined the room. granted, the carved woodwork, brilliant stained glass lunettes and stenciling certainly were very important features that visually enhanced the space, but the massive ornamental cast iron fixtures, especially when electrified, really brought the hall or room to a majestic state - bathed in the warm glow of bare bulb incandescent light.

i'm utterly shocked that the original cast iron electroliers were taken down and replaced with "schoolhouse" style pendant lights. removal of the fixtures left this grand space terribly vacant and visually scarred by this senseless act.

to this day, not one person knows or has gone on record explaining the whereabouts of the electroliers. i'm guessing that the fixtures shared the fate (i.e., scrapped) of countless other architectural elements adorning buildings inside and out.

there is a chance however, that the fixtures, or perhaps a single fixture (i'm trying to remain positive) was diverted from the scrap yard. like the story behind mccormick grille i recently acquired, there is hope that at least one of these fixtures might be collecting dust in a residential basement or commercial warehouse somewhere. only time will tell.

regardless, the newly installed fixtures has created momentum to continue on with the much-needed restorations. the return of stenciling and art glass repairs will certainly help in filling the gaps created by the several alterations over the years.

so with that, i sign off with the photographs taken while experiencing this magnificent room that in time, will hopefully evolve into a faithful representation of its former self.