ART & ART DECO CLEVELAND 2006
September 13-17, 2006

Cleveland Trust Rotunda (1908)

Euclid Avenue at East 9th Street. George B. Post & Sons, architects.

Although the building was closed to the public, we had made special arrangements to see one of Cleveland's most stunning interiors: an 85 foot high Rotunda topped by a 61 foot diameter stained glass dome. Thirteen arched bays support the three stories of offices that surround the rotunda. Fluted columns, marble floors and walls, and bronze metalwork are reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance. On the upper levels are murals by Francis D. Millet, a well regarded American Realist painter whose work includes Trinity Church in Boston. The stained glass dome is often mistakenly attributed to Tiffany. Although beautiful and certainly similar in style, it is not a work of Tiffany Studios.

The exterior of the Cleveland Trust Rotunda resembles a "temple" whose walls follow an unusual trapezoid-shaped site. The central pediment displays allegorical sculptures by Karl Bitter, depicting the primary sources of wealth of the United States. Mr. Bitter's work can also be seen at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, and the Wisconsin State Capitol. Adjacent to the Rotunda is the 29-story Cleveland Trust Tower, completed in 1971, by Marcel Breuer and Hamilton Smith. Its exterior is composed of bold, pre-cast concrete panels in a Brutalist style.

A series of bank mergers in the late 1990s resulted in consolidation of operations at another location, and the building has been vacant since. Recently, a private firm has purchased the property and has proposed a $200 million mixed development of condos, offices, and a boutique hotel. Although preservation of the Rotunda has never been in question, there has been much recent controversy about whether or not to demolish the Tower--the only skyscraper Marcel Breuer ever designed. It appears the current proposal saves the Breuer Tower. A big thank you to Jay Ross, Director of Central Services for Cuyahoga County, for arranging our special visit.

Cowan Pottery Museum