Old Hansen Planetarium

Last updated
Salt Lake City Public Library
Old Hansen Planetarium Salt Lake City.jpeg
Old Hansen Planetarium in 2010
USA Utah location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of 15 S State St in Utah
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Old Hansen Planetarium (the United States)
Location15 S State St, Salt Lake City, Utah
Coordinates 40°46′7″N111°53′13″W / 40.76861°N 111.88694°W / 40.76861; -111.88694 Coordinates: 40°46′7″N111°53′13″W / 40.76861°N 111.88694°W / 40.76861; -111.88694
Built1904
Architect Hines & Lafarge; Frederick A. Hale
Architectural style Beaux Arts
NRHP reference No. 79002505 [1]
Added to NRHPAugust 7, 1979

The Old Hansen Planetarium at 15 South State Street in Salt Lake City, Utah has served many functions throughout its history. Originally built in 1904 as the Salt Lake City Public Library, the building was renovated in 1965 to become the Hansen Planetarium. After the planetarium closed and was replaced by the Clark Planetarium in 2003, the building was remodeled into the O.C. Tanner Company Flagship jewelry store, which opened in 2009. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Contents

Salt Lake City Public Library

The first public library in Salt Lake City opened in 1898 and was located in the top floor of the Salt Lake City and County Building. After the library quickly outgrew the venue, the city began looking for a location to build a new library. A group of women called the Ladies Literary Society helped out by persuading the mining millionaire John Quackenbos Packard to donate land and money for the new building, [2] which cost $100,000 at the time. The new library opened in 1905 with librarian Joanna Sprague, for whom the Sprague branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library system, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, [1] is now named. The building would continue to serve as the main branch library until October 1964, when a new library building was constructed at 209 East 500 South. [3]

When the building was constructed, it was described as a "combination of the Doric and Ionian styles of architecture", and would later be classified in the Beaux Arts style. [2] It was designed by Heins & LaFarge of New York City, and the local supervising architect was Frederick A. Hale. The library was three stories tall with a two-story entrance pavilion constructed of oolite limestone and 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of floor space. The roof was slightly flared, and the roofline was broken by a large carved stone gable with a center arched window and four decorated pilasters. The entrance pavilion's sides were curved around the spiral staircases at both ends of the entrance foyer. The pavilion was divided into three sections by four columns; each bay contained oak double doors leading to the foyer. After going through the foyer, the main reading room is revealed. In the center of the room stood a librarian's desk made of steel and topped by golden oak, the same finish of the interior of the entrance foyer. On the upper floor, the main auditorium contained seating for 350 people. [2]

Hansen Planetarium

After the new library was constructed in 1964, Gail Plummer, professor of speech and drama at the University of Utah and chairman of the Salt Lake City Library board, expressed interest in converting the old library into a planetarium. Plummer had several conversations with Mrs. Beatrice M. Hansen, wife of the late George T. Hansen, in which Mrs. Hansen decided to fund the project. [4] In 1965 she donated $400,000 to the city to build the planetarium in memory of her deceased husband. [2] After Mrs. Hansen's death the building was renamed the Mr. and Mrs. George T. Hansen Planetarium, Space Science Library and Museum in honor of the couple. [4] During its operation, the planetarium attracted 20% of the population of the city and had the highest per capita attendance of any planetarium in the nation. [5] The Hansen Planetarium continued operation until April 2003, when it outgrew the building and was replaced by the Clark Planetarium in The Gateway. [6]

When the Hansen Planetarium occupied the building, the center doors of the entrance pavilion were replaced by a large sheet of glass, and the center part of the steps was replaced with a fountain. A mezzanine was added above the second floor in the entrance pavilion for exhibit in the planetarium. The same firm that did the original millwork for the 1904 building worked on these new additions. The local architect for the additions was Wesley Budd. [2] A large dome was also added onto the rear wall of the building to give the planetarium extra space for its exhibits. [7]

O. C. Tanner Company

After four years of lying vacant, the O. C. Tanner Company bought the building in 2007 for $1.2 million. Before Tanner came along, two referendums to fund the empty building were rejected, but the jeweling company's clear plan got the votes it needed. [6] The company spent two years and $24 million renovating the building, which opened in September 2009. The company itself supplied a majority of the funds ($13–15 million), and the remainder came from the community. [8]

Upon the company's purchase of the building, O.C. Tanner's staff decided to try to mimic the original architecture as closely as possible. Because of this, the dome at the rear of the building was removed. Instead of simply demolishing the dome, however, it was systematically dismantled and donated to the Zion's Gateway to the Stars planetarium in Orderville, Utah. Also, the front staircase was restored to its original condition by removing the fountain in the center, which, coincidentally, was donated by O. C. Tanner himself. [7]

Only three of the four walls—the sides and front—were preserved in Tanner's restoration. Since the back had already been altered by the Hansen Planetarium and there were no original images of that wall from the 1905 building, Curtis Bennett, vice president of the company's retail operations, was allowed a little freedom with that design. [6] The rear wall now consists of glass and stone, both etched with images of the building's history. The rear wall contains the largest laser stone-carving project in the world with 18 panels covering 900 square feet (84 m2) and weighing 44,000 pounds (20,000 kg) in all. [9] The bottom of the rear wall contains repeated images from the library in 1905, the top contains images of a galaxy (signifying the Hansen Planetarium), and the middle contains an image of the founder of the company, O.C. Tanner. The image on the glass is a dot-matrix image, but the stone imaging required a new process developed specifically for this building. [6]

Inside the building, a new limestone spiral staircase was built with a Flora Cascade chandelier hanging in the center of the spiral. The chandelier was designed by Sharon Marston and includes about 4,000 strands of fiber optics, more than 14,000 interwoven shapes made of white polymer and steel, and about 3,000 golden and amber glass leaves. Weighing 243 pounds (110 kg) and extending 26.4 feet (8.0 m) from the ceiling, the chandelier stretches nearly the entire height of the building. [6]

Related Research Articles

Camp Floyd / Stagecoach Inn State Park and Museum United States historic place

Camp Floyd was a short-lived U.S. Army post in the Cedar Valley, Utah, United States. The Stagecoach Inn was a nearby hotel which also served as a stagecoach stop and, during 1860-1861, a Pony Express stop. Both were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s, and now are included in a Utah state park known as Camp Floyd / Stagecoach Inn State Park and Museum.

Temple Square United States historic place

Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Contained within Temple Square are the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake Tabernacle, Salt Lake Assembly Hall, the Seagull Monument, and two visitors' centers. The square was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964, recognizing the Mormon achievement in the settlement of Utah.

Buildings and sites of Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, Utah has many historic and notable sites within its immediate borders. Although the entire Salt Lake City metropolitan area is often referred to as "Salt Lake City", this article is concerned only with the buildings and sites within the official city limits of Salt Lake City.

<i>Deseret News</i> Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints weekly print newspaper with daily online news published in Salt Lake City

The Deseret News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Until 2020 it was Utah's oldest continuously published daily newspaper; it has the largest Sunday circulation in the state. The News is owned by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, a holding company owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The paper's name is derived from the word for "honeybee" in the Book of Mormon.

Salt Lake City Public Library Public library in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

The Salt Lake City Public Library system's main branch building is an architecturally unique structure in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is located at 210 East, 400 South, across from the Salt Lake City and County Building and Washington Square.

Utah State Capitol State capitol building of the U.S. state of Utah

The Utah State Capitol is the house of government for the U.S. state of Utah. The building houses the chambers and offices of the Utah State Legislature, the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, the State Auditor and their staffs. The capitol is the main building of the Utah State Capitol Complex, which is located on Capitol Hill, overlooking downtown Salt Lake City.

Stephen Foster Memorial United States historic place

The Stephen Collins Foster Memorial is a performing arts center and museum which houses the Stephen Foster Archives at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It is dedicated to the life and works of American songwriter Stephen Foster.

Abravanel Hall

Abravanel Hall is a concert hall in Salt Lake City, Utah that is home to the Utah Symphony, and is part of the Salt Lake County Center for the Arts. The hall is an architectural landmark in the city, and is adjacent to Temple Square and the Salt Palace on South Temple Street. The hall can hold up to 2,811 occupants.

Spindletop Hall United States historic place

Spindletop Hall, located at 3414 Iron Works Pike in Lexington, KY, is the former home of Pansy Yount, wife of Miles Franklin Yount of the Yount-Lee Oil Company. It is currently the home of the University of Kentucky's staff, faculty, and alumni club, which was founded in 1962.

Columbia Museum of Art Art museum in South Carolina, United States

The Columbia Museum of Art is an art museum in the American city of Columbia, South Carolina.

ZCMI Center Mall

The ZCMI Center Mall was a shopping center near Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States that was owned by Zions Securities Corporation, which opened in 1975 and closed in 2007. At the time of its opening, it was the largest downtown mall in the country. ZCMI stands for Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution, which refers to a department store owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that had locations in Utah and Idaho until it was sold to The May Department Stores Company. The ZCMI Center Mall, along with the affiliated Crossroads Plaza Mall, once constituted the largest shopping area in Salt Lake City.

Brighton Dome

The Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton, England, that contains the Concert Hall, the Corn Exchange and the Studio Theatre. All three venues are linked to the rest of the Royal Pavilion Estate by a tunnel to the Royal Pavilion in Pavilion Gardens and through shared corridors to Brighton Museum.

Obert Clark Tanner was a University of Utah professor of philosophy, philanthropist, and founder of O.C. Tanner Co.

Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and United States Courthouse United States historic place

The Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and United States Courthouse, commonly referred to as the Solomon Building is a historic post office and courthouse located at Chattanooga, Tennessee in Hamilton County, Tennessee. The courthouse serves the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as U.S. Post Office. It was designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon and Reuben Harrison Hunt with watercolor murals by Hilton Leech.

Murray LDS Second Ward Meetinghouse United States historic place

Built in 1909, the Murray LDS Second Ward Meetinghouse is a historic building in Murray, Utah, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The building is significant for its association with the history and development of Murray between 1909 and 1950.

Elgin National Watch Company Observatory United States historic place

The Elgin National Watch Company Observatory is a historic building in Elgin, in the U.S. state of Illinois. It was built in 1910 to serve the Elgin National Watch Company two blocks to the west. The two-story observatory provided data on time that was scientifically accurate to a tenth of a second. Manufacturers could then produce a more accurate watch. The observatory was an important part of the company's legacy, and they even changed their motto to reflect this. By 1950, the Elgin National Watch Company could no longer compete with wristwatch companies. The observatory was donated to a local school district and became known as the School District U-46 Planetarium/Observatory. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

Provo Tabernacle United States historic place

The Provo Tabernacle served as a tabernacle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 to 2010 in downtown Provo, Utah, United States. It is a historic icon of Provo and has been home to many religious and cultural events. All but the outer walls of the building were destroyed by fire in December 2010. The Church of Jesus Christ preserved the remaining outer walls and built a new foundation and interior as part of the Provo City Center Temple, completed in 2016.

Richard Karl August Kletting was an influential architect in Utah. He designed many well-known buildings, including the Utah State Capitol, the Enos Wall Mansion, the original Salt Palace, and the original Saltair Resort Pavilion. His design for the Utah State Capitol was chosen over 40 competing designs. A number of his buildings survive and are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places including many in University of Utah Circle and in the Salt Lake City Warehouse District.

O.C. Tanner (company) US employee recognition company

O.C. Tanner Company is an employee recognition company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company maintains offices in Canada, England, Singapore, Australia, and India, and is one of the largest manufacturers of retail and corporate awards in the United States. The company made the medals for the 2002, U.S.-hosted Winter Olympics.

First National Bank (Salt Lake City) Historic building in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

The First National Bank is a historic bank building in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 John S. H. Smith (August 7, 1979). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Salt Lake City Public Library". National Park Service. "Accompanying 4 photos, from 1979". National Register of Historic Places Inventory.
  3. ↑ "History of The City Library". Salt Lake City Public Library. 2003. Retrieved March 18, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  4. 1 2 Von Del Chamberlain (2002). "Your Cosmic Virtual Reality Machine". Clark Foundation. Retrieved March 19, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ↑ "How to fund the planetarium". Deseret News. September 28, 1977. Retrieved March 19, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Carma Wadley (September 5, 2009). "O.C. Tanner: A gem of a building - Business turns old Hansen Planetarium into flagship store". Deseret News. Retrieved March 18, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. 1 2 Doug Smeath (August 3, 2007). "O.C. Tanner buying Salt Lake's Hansen Planetarium - It will restore building". Deseret News. Retrieved March 19, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  8. ↑ Catherine Dayrit (March 16, 2010). "A landmark lives on". National Jeweler . Retrieved March 19, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  9. ↑ Jed Boal (September 4, 2009). "O.C. Tanner nears completion of renovated Hansen Planetarium building". KSL-TV. Retrieved March 19, 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.