DETROIT, MI
November 2010.
Michigan Theater
DETROIT, MI
November 2010.
It is not the only theater in the
world to be adaptively reused, but the Michigan Theater might be the most famous
example of a 20th century movie house to be chopped up and turned into something else. Much of
its auditorium and lobby ceilings remain intact, providing a grand setting for
what is now a parking garage. The privately-owned garage serves only the
adjacent office building and is not generally accessible to the public. I was
fortunate to be allowed access to the theater space, as shortly thereafter a surge of recent
interest in the building led to the owner announcing that individual
requests to go inside cannot be currently be considered.
The 4,000 + seat Michigan Theater (and adjacent Michigan [office] Building) opened in
1926 and showed its last movie in 1971, after a steady decline that began in the
1950s. A short-lived dinner-theater style operation opened in 1972, and in 1973
rock concerts featuring Kiss, Aerosmith, David Bowie, New York Dolls, and other
top national/international acts began to be held here. The Michigan Theater
closed for good in 1976. Major tenants in the office building wanted parking,
and the theater was almost demolished, except that doing so would have
compromised the structural integrity of the office building. Thus, it was gutted
and converted to a two-level parking garage.
Some might look at The Michigan Theater and say "only in Detroit," but
New York City also had a grand old theater that in later years housed cars, a
fact that seemed less widely known even in New York. The RKO Chester
Theatre was located in the
Bronx and most recently was a car repair shop. Like the Michigan, this theater's
lower level was destroyed and much of it's ceiling and part or all of it's
balcony remained. Unfortunately the RKO Chester was
demolished in May 2010. Only a few interior photos seem to be
on the internet, and here
they
are.
Historic marker on the front of the Michigan
Building.
Street-level view through a chain-link fence of
what had been the theater lobby.
Images of some other locations not generally visible to those privileged with interior
access can be seen here
and here.
Lobby in the office building.
Staircase at third floor for pedestrian access
from the office building.
This page copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Yasinsac.
All rights reserved.
Reproducing or copying photographs
without the permission of Robert Yasinsac is prohibited.
