History is coming alive in the Fine Arts Building.
The Office of University Architects and the department of theatre and film studies are breathing life back into the Fine Arts Theatre with a $3.25 million renovation of the one-of-a-kind architectural treasure.
The facility will be modernized and restored to its former glory, according to Scott Messer, a historic preservationist in the architects’ office and project manager for the renovation.
“This space benefits drama, the performing arts and the community at large,” said Messer.
The first phase of the renovation addresses needs for increased visibility, better acoustics and audience comfort. In addition, this phase of the project will restore the original ticket office and coat check located at the entrance to the building, just past the famous mural that faces Baldwin Street.
After decades of inadequate restroom facilities, several handicapped accessible bathrooms will be installed downstairs. The noisy air handlers on either side of the stage will be relocated to enhance the acoustics. And-perhaps most appealing to theatergoers-611 new seats will be added, and 149 original seats will be refurbished. The floor also will be sloped to provide a better view for people sitting in the first 10 rows, who used to sit eye level with the actors’ knees.
The Fine Arts Building has a storied past.
In the late 1930s, almost $2 million in state and federal funds went into 17 new buildings at UGA. The money, according to F.N. Boney’s A Walking Tour of UGA, was a part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Public Works Administration. One of those buildings was the Fine Arts Building.
“Most people have no idea of the performers, such as the Moscow Ballet, who have passed through here,” said Messer.
The two-year project, which cost $450,000 to build, was completed in 1939. A five-day festival heralded its opening with many activities, including a presentation of Pride and Prejudice by University Theatre.
The main theater, which is in the center of the building and seats 760, has lavish, hand-wrought architectural details. During the Great Depression, men worked for years to handcraft wall tiles, custom lighting fixtures, columns and porticos as well as a massive domed ceiling, complete with a round sky light, breathtaking proscenium over the stage and balconies on either side, as well as other unique details.
Those architectural details were lost in the 1970s when modern theater design called for a total blackout as well as a marked lack of ornamentation. To match the times, the Fine Arts Theatre was renovated in 1976. Black walls were erected in front of the Italianate, hand-tiled walls; balcony seating was removed, which radically reduced theater capacity from 1,500 to 760; and the theater’s ornate octagonal interior shape-complete with twin balconies on either side of the stage-was transformed into a black rectangle.
The exquisitely detailed domed ceiling was spray painted black and heavy scaffolding was suspended from it. To add insult to injury, massive air handlers were installed directly on either side of the stage, resulting in “muddy sound that was just terrible,” according to Messer.
Phase one of this restoration is scheduled for completion in September. Future phases involve restoring the massive domed ceiling. At present, it is painted black, and any view of it is obstructed by the extensive system of catwalks overhead.
Not only does restoring historic buildings make aesthetic sense, but it saves resources, according to Messer.
“To build a facility like this today from the ground up would be prohibitive, compared to working with a pre-existing structure,” he said. “By preserving what UGA already has and working with it, we get the benefits of the architectural beauty, a continued sense of history and save money in construction expenses.”
Kevin Kirsche, assistant director of planning for University Architects, agrees.
“We could never afford to create this kind of architecture today,” said Kirsche. “The beauty of such renovations is that they are a significant form of recycling. Often people think of recycling in terms of the paper bin down the hall. Restoration essentially recycles an entire building.”