Architectural Archaeology: Kennedy Center II

Kennedy Center in snow, January 2019

[Full Disclosure: I am a current employee of the Kennedy Center. Any opinions expressed in this piece are my own personal views and do not represent that of the Center, its management, or its staff.]

As usual, I'm procrastinating other personal writing projects. So we're at this again with entirely new spots around the Kennedy Center! For some reason, they're all about wall features. Didn't plan it, that's just what it ended up being. Enjoy...

PAYPHONES

I alluded to this last time: Where are the payphones? They used to be everywhere. When cell phones became common in everyone's pockets, payphones were deemed superfluous. Most were either taken down or abandoned.

As a building from the 1970's, the Kennedy Center most certainly had payphones. Today, there none still on the walls.* As someone who arrived at the Center post-payphones, I have absolutely no idea where they were located. Except...

While perusing eBay, I found one unusual clue: a September 2000 Program.

September 2000 Kennedy Center Stagebill program for the Balanchine Celebration.
Caption inside: A member of the Bolshoi Ballet takes time for a phone call before a
performance of Don Quixote. Photo by Carol Pratt.

I love old Kennedy Center programs. Their cover photos range from architectural beauty shots to quirky ideas like this. This sort of situation could only happen to you at the Kennedy Center!

So where is this photo taken? There are a couple clues. The marble floor, the "Teatro Scala" poster, the Bolshoi Ballet dancer. Bolshoi Ballet usually performs in the Opera House. Most previous show posters at the KC are only displayed in backstage areas. Marble floors are usually only in public areas. 

The answer is the Opera House Stage Door Lobby. It's a liminal space, the gateway from the public Hall of Nations to the private backstage. Somehow, the Teatro Scala still seems to be in the same spot that it was in 2000!

Corner of the Opera House Stage Door lobby

Under the poster is even two covered outlet covers, exactly where payphones were located in the 2000 program cover.

The former payphone location.
Note the two outlet covers.

It's also interesting to note the lighting reflection on the Teatro Scala poster in 2000. It's circular, like the lights that still hang in the Opera House Stage Door's Inner Antechamber. Now in 2021, the lights are modern fluorescents. 

* There is one staff member who has a Kennedy Center payphone at their desk, but I don't believe it is plugged in/operating.


WATER FOUNTAIN

In a storage room by the Atrium is this odd, boxy protrusion sticking out from the wall. It is sometimes used as a shelf.

It appears to be an old water fountain, just covered up! This area used to be part of a large bathroom complex next to the Atrium. For some reason, this fountain was never removed from the wall.

Taped-over water fountain spigot

The black and gold polished rock is gorgeous. It's interesting to see how features, like water fountains, have changed over the decades, and thus change the feel of the built environment. 

GOLDEN FIRE ALARM

For some reason, the Kennedy Center has different colored fire alarms throughout the building. You have your standard red fire alarms in the Grand Foyer:

Red Fire Alarm in the Grand Foyer

When you go upstairs, the Nations and States Galleries' fire alarms are white.

White Fire Alarm in the Nations Gallery

And then in the Atrium and Atrium Foyers are fire alarms that are gold colored.

Gold Fire Alarm in an Atrium Foyer

Gold fire alarm in the Atrium

The different colors are most likely due to renovations that happened at different times. Out of the three colors, I'm really digging the gold ones. Red is standard, everyone understands they have to be there so it's permissible. But now with other colors available... my response to red fire alarms is Ryan Gosling saying "Be better than the Gap" from Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011). Let's bring our fire alarm game up a notch! White is nicely camouflaged on top of the marble, but won't work as well with wood paneling or beige walls. Gold, though, is part of the color scheme throughout the building. They blend in very nicely. Just the right detail. Still stands out, but fits in to the surroundings.

WALL CARPET NO MORE

I regret to announce my favorite administrative hallway stretch will no longer feature wall carpet. After decades of service (I'm willing to bet almost 50 years), they pulled the carpet down last week. It wasn't anything special, just a thick beige wall carpet, but its anachronistic dated style made me happy.

Some before pictures from a month or so ago:

(It was hard for me to photograph)

Wall Carpet detail on right. 

And then here is the hallway right after they tore it down:

Wall detail, interesting pattern created
from ripping carpet off the wall

Wall carpet rolled up, waiting to head for the dumpster
The edge had a metal frame around it

They've done more work on the hallway since these pictures, it won't be left in that state. It'll just be a normal stretch of hallway, just like all the rest. RIP Wall Carpet. (It's gonna be really funny if wall carpets become a popular interior design trend soon) (Probably not, both to wall carpets becoming popular again real soon, or it being really funny)

PRODUCTION AUTOGRAPH

Ending this on a high note. Many of the touring shows that come through tag somewhere in the backstage. Some are on the ground, some are in tech booths. They can just be their logo, or they can get elaborate, adding dates, a list of stagehands who were on those tours, etc.

This tagged alcove is one of my favorites, just a fun mix of shows. And looks like there's already a new black wall available for when they fill up every inch of the current section!