| Mabel Shaw Bridges Music Auditorium | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Alternative names | Big Bridges |
| General information | |
| Type | Auditorium |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival[1] |
| Address | 450 N. College Way |
| Town or city | Claremont, California |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 34°05′53″N 117°42′44″W / 34.09806°N 117.71222°W / 34.09806; -117.71222 |
| Named for | Mabel Shaw Bridges |
| Construction started | 1930[2] |
| Completed | 1931[2] |
| Opened | 1932[1] |
| Renovated | 1975[1] |
| Cost | $650,000[3] |
| Owner | Pomona College |
| Height | 28.9 m (95 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Steel, reinforced concrete[3] |
| Floor area | 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | William Templeton Johnson[1] |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | 2494[1] |
| Public transit access | Claremont  |
| Website | |
| pomona | |
The Mabel Shaw Bridges Music Auditorium, more commonly known as Bridges AuditoriumorBig Bridges (to distinguish it from nearby Bridges Hall of Music, known as Little Bridges[4]), is a 2500-seat auditoriumatPomona CollegeinClaremont, California, United States. It was designed by William Templeton Johnson and opened in 1932. It hosts a variety of performances for the college and outside groups.
The auditorium was built as a joint project of the Claremont Colleges consortium. It was sponsored by the parents of Mabel Shaw Bridges, a student in Pomona's class of 1908 who died of illness in her junior year,[5] and H.H. Timken, president of the Timken Roller Bearing Company.[2][6]
From its completion until the opening of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in 1964, it was arguably the premier destination of choice for prominent visitors to Southern California.[7] It was also the largest collegiate auditorium on the West Coast, with a capacity nearly twice that of Pomona and equal to that of the city of Claremont.[2] The Los Angeles Philharmonic frequently performed there.[7]
The auditorium was renovated from 1975 to 1977 for seismic retrofitting and cosmetic repairs.[1][8] In 2007, control was transferred from the consortium to Pomona individually.[9][10][11]
Pomona's 2015 master plan classifies Big Bridges as a "building notable for establishing the distinctive context" of the college, and describes it as a symbol of the college's regional civic engagement.[12] A 2015 environmental impact report from the college identifies it as eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places,[13] although as of 2020[update] the college has not yet applied for it to be listed. John Neiuber, writing for the Claremont Courier in 2017, expressed surprise it is not listed.[14]
Big Bridges is the primary visual anchor point for the east side of Marston Quadrangle, the center of Pomona's campus. It was constructed in a Renaissance Revival style modeled after northern Italy,[1] and incorporates Art Deco elements.[5] It has large porticos on its front and sides with arched columns,[15] and a large formally adorned foyer inside the main entrance. The building's frieze features the names of five eminent composers;[2]itwas the target of a famous 1975 prank in which the one for Frédéric Chopin was replaced with one honoring Frank Zappa.[16][8][17]
The auditorium has a capacity of 2,494 people, including a 500-seat cantilevered balcony.[1] There are no supporting columns, allowing all seats to have unobstructed views of the 62-by-36-foot (19 m × 11 m) proscenium.[2]
The basement has a historical exhibit.[18]
| External image | |
|---|---|
 Interior of Big Bridges, showing the ceiling mural |
A mural by Italian-American artist John B. Smeraldi covers the 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) parabolic domed ceiling of the auditorium.[1] It depicts a variety of constellationsinsilver and gold leaf[19] against a pale blue background.[2]
Big Bridges hosts a variety of events and performances for the college, including orientation sessions, concerts, and guest speaker lectures. The college also rents the auditorium to outside groups. A number of films and television shows have used the auditorium as a set.[20]
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