3022 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN, USA

3022 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN, USA

3022 Hennepin Ave Home History
Liebenberg and Kaplan, 1928/ remodeled, 1954, 1966

One of Uptown's great delights, this movie house, built as the Granada, is the last operating example in the Twin Cities of a so-called "atmospheric" theater. Although the original lobby and entrances were remodeled out of existence in 1966, much of Liebenberg and Kaplan's design remains intact, including the up- per portions of the front façade, decorated in an exotic style known as Spanish Churrigueresque Revival.
The real fun, however, lies within. Here you'll find an "atmospheric" auditorium, the invention of a St. Louis architect named John Eberson. His idea, first ap- plied to a theater in Houston in 1923, was designed to convey a sense of being outside at night in a romantic, Old World setting. Eberson wrote, "We visualize and dream a magnificent amphitheater, an Italian garden, a Persian court, a Spanish patio, or a mystic Egyptian temple yard, all canopied by a soft moonlight sky." In the case of the Granada, Liebenberg and Kaplan opted for the Spanish patio. Balconies, balustrades, and arched doorways rise like stage sets along both sides of the auditorium. Above, twinkling stars and drifting clouds are projected across the ceiling. It's indeed "atmospheric," and still a wonderful way to spend a night at the movies.

Citation: Millett, Larry. AIA Guide to the Minneapolis Lake District. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2009.