Ford Rotunda
| Ford Rotunda | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Town or city | Dearborn |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 42°18′43.44″N 83°10′36.14″W / 42.3120667°N 83.1767056°W |
| Inaugurated | 1933 |
| Destroyed | 1962 |
| Owner | Ford Motors |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Albert Kahn |
The Ford Rotunda was a tourist attraction originally located in South Side Chicago, Illinois and later was relocated to Dearborn, Michigan. At one point, it was the fifth most popular tourist destination in the United States in the mid-twentieth century. This futuristic structure received more visits in the 1950s than did the Statue of Liberty. The Rotunda was built for the 1934 World’s Fair–“A Century of Progress International Exposition”–in Chicago, Illinois. After the World’s Fair, the Rotunda was dismantled and rebuilt in Dearborn, serving as the visitor center for what was then the equivalent of Ford Motor Company’s “World Headquarters”. Albert Kahn, who designed the Rotunda for Ford’s exposition at the World’s Fair, was also called upon to update the design for its new purpose. Its ultra-modern design, elaborate shows, and spectacular Christmas displays contributed to the Rotunda’s extreme popularity amongst tourists during its existence. The Rotunda was destroyed on Friday, November 9, 1962, due to a fire.
The Ford Rotunda (also referred to as the Ford Pavilion, and the Ford Exposition Building) was built by the Ford Motor Company for the 1934 World’s Fair to house installations depicting man’s developments in transportation. The Rotunda was situated within 12 acres of the Lake Michigan shoreline near South Side, Chicago.
Late in 1934 it was announced that, following the World’s Fair, the Ford Rotunda would be dismantled and shipped to Dearborn, Michigan where it was to act as a visitor center and be reconstructed using more permanent materials. It was constructed on a 13 ½ acre site across Schaefer Rd. from the original Ford Administration Building and near the later Ford World Headquarters. It was constructed with a steel framework weighing 1,000 tons with 114,000 square feet of Indiana Limestone attached to it, matching the administration building. It stood 10 stories high and measured 210 feet at the base and had a center courtyard with a diameter of 92 feet. Two additional wings were also added to the permanent location in Dearborn that anchored the center section.
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Wikipedia