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

Severance Hall (1931)

11001 Euclid Avenue. Walker & Weeks, architects.

Home of the Cleveland Orchestra, Severance Hall is among the most beautiful concert halls in the country. John L. Severance was the principle benefactor and the President of the Orchestra’s Board of Trustees from 1921-1936. Shortly after groundbreaking, his wife Elisabeth died unexpectedly, and Mr. Severance turned the project into a memorial to her.

The neoclassical exterior was intended to harmonize with the nearby Cleveland Museum of Art—the only exception being a wonderful Art Deco pediment by New York sculptor Henry Hering. The sedate exterior encloses a spectacular oval-shaped foyer: an eclectic blend of Art Deco, Neoclassical, and Egyptian Revival. Exquisite design prevails throughout, with exceptional craftsmanship in marble, brass, terrazzo, and etched glass. Variations of the lotus blossom—said to be one of Elisabeth’s favorite flowers—are a unifying design theme. The 2,100 seat auditorium has a unique silver leaf ceiling of gently curved, abstracted foliage forms, thought to be inspired by the lace of Mrs. Severance’s wedding dress. The restoration of Severance Hall, completed in 2000, received an award from the National Trust.

On the lower level of Severance Hall is the lovely Reinberger Chamber Hall, an intimate venue for smaller ensembles. Our tour also included a “behind-the-scenes” look at the Norton Memorial Organ, considered one of the finest concert organs ever built; we saw most of the 6,025 pipes made of wood, lead, zinc, and tin alloy. The pipes range in size from 32 feet to 7 inches. www.clevelandorchestra.com

Our private tour was provided by Frank Gerlak, an architect and volunteer docent at Severance Hall. Frank was the “historian” of the (former) Cleveland Art Deco Society, which disbanded in the mid- 1990s. One hope of our trip was to inspire that group to again be established! Frank accompanied our group on some other ventures and shared his vast knowledge of Cleveland history. Finally, he is also an accomplished photographer--view some of his photographs on: www.clevelandskyscrapers.com.

Silver Grille