With the summer season, not only do sunshine and long days come about, but so do concerts. There are tons and tons of concerts, especially in none other than New York City. But, what many may not realize is the ingenuity and history behind the site of sold-out shows: the architecture of Madison Square Garden. With major performers booking shows at NYC’s most coveted venue, it's easy to see how something like the architecture of the institution would be overshadowed, but that ends now! Here are three “secrets” you didn’t know about the history and architecture of the one and only Madison Square Garden!
From Circus Beginnings to Sky-High Gardens
Before settling into its current spot today, Madison Square Garden had undergone 3 different location and design changes. The first version of the stadium established in 1879 was known as P.T Barnum’s Grand Roman Hippodrome (the infamous founding father of the circus business and whose life loosely inspired the hit movie The Greatest Showman). Subsequently, when the building was demolished due to financial troubles a decade later, a new MSG emerged shortly after, designed by Stanford White, and was famed for its iconic rooftop garden. Then, in 1925, the company that owned the lease to MSG decided to relocate the arena again and have the old one destroyed, yet again. Finally, in 1968, the final rendition of Madison Square Garden was thought up by the architect Charles Luckman and given its forever home between 31st and 33 Street and 7th and 8th Avenue.
One-of-a-Kind Ceiling
Madison Square Garden is an architectural marvel for its concave ceiling that is not only extraordinarily creative in design but also the only one in existence across the entire world. This feature contributes to creating great acoustics for performers and provides sports fans and concert attendees with clear views of the entire arena, making every single seat magical.
Out With the Old in With the New
Upon the announcement of the construction of the current Madison Square Garden in the 1960s, lead architect Charles Luckman faced backlash for the project. At the time, many cities were trying to preserve their history by protecting past architectural sites and ruins. This notion strongly conflicted with plans to place MSG at a site of Penn Station, nevertheless, the project proceeded. In fact, after the new vs. old quarrel surrounding MSG, Luckman became infamous for proposing plans to build new structures to replace landmarks and other historical buildings in cities across the United States.
So whether you’re going to see the pop hitmaker Tate McRae later this August or to the next Knicks game or buying tickets to Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n Sweet tour, the next time you visit Madison Square Garden, don’t forget that it’s rich history and architecture might just be as legendary as the stars on stage.
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