The Hippodrome Theatre, New York City, USA
If you had walked down to 1120 6th Avenue in New York 100 years ago, you’d have been greeted by the sight of this spectacular theater. The giant 5,697-seat Hippodrome was the brainchild of entrepreneurs Frederick Thompson and Elmer Dundy, who enticed new middle-class customers with lower ticket prices and made theater accessible for all.
As was the case for other grand turn-of-the-century buildings, the Hippodrome fell into the trap of high maintenance costs. Despite going through the hands of numerous owners, it finally had to close in August 1939 and was demolished later that year. In the 1960s it was replaced by a parking lot and an office building, which has remained ever since.
