Suburban World Theater – Interior and Exterior

1928

2006

Address: 3022 Hennepin Avenue

Neighborhood: Ecco 

Construction Date: 1927

Contractor: Day Laborers

Architect: Liebenberg and Kaplan

Architectural Style: Exotic Revival

Historic Use: Culture/Recreation – Motion Picture Theater

Current Use: Culture/Recreation

Date of Local Designation: 1991

Date of National Register Designation: N/A

Area(s) of Significance: Architecture

Period of Significance: 1927-1945

Historic Profile: The 1927 theater was named after the town of Granada, Spain, a center of Moorish learning and culture. Designed by locally prominent architects, Liebenberg and Kaplan, the theater’s exterior façade originally had three-bays and a projecting "Granada" sign with a rectangular marquee below. Above the marquee, three arched windows are separated by decorated columns with Corinthian caps. Despite renovations in 1966, which removed the Granada sign and marquee as well as remodeled the lobby, the auditorium escaped major alterations. The Churriqueresque style is carried into the interior through the use of mock balconets, balustrades, and arched windows. Artificial trees add to the illusion of an outdoor setting. The curved ceiling simulates a romantic night sky by the projection of "atmospheric" effects of stars and clouds. Renamed the Suburban World Theater in 1954, it is now a venue for performances and special events.

Photo Credits:

1928, courtesy of Minneapolis Public Libraries

2006, Minneapolis CPED

Updated: February 2007