Curious about what this fortress-like building once held? This is the Cyclorama Building. Its story is one of art battles and reinvention. The Cyclorama Building stands as a testament to Boston’s ever-evolving cultural landscape.
Originally constructed in 1884, the Cyclorama Building was purpose-built. It was designed to house Paul Dominique Philippoteaux’s panoramic painting, “The Battle of Gettysburg”. Entrepreneur Charles Willoughby commissioned this cavernous rotunda. Architects Charles Amos Cummings and Willard T. Sears designed it. They also designed Copley Square’s Old South Church. The Cyclorama Building boasted one of the largest domes in the country. Only the U.S. Capitol’s dome was bigger.
Philippoteaux’s painting was immense. It was nearly 400 feet long and 50 feet high. Bostonians flocked to Tremont Street. They paid 50 cents to see it. After climbing stairs, they reached the viewing platform. Suddenly, they were transported to the Civil War battlefield of 1863. The artist interviewed survivors and sketched onsite. His realistic rendering seemed to extend for miles. Props like dirt cannons and canteens created a 3D foreground.
The word “cyclorama” was coined for these spectacular tableaux. Think of it as the IMAX of the 1800s. Many cities had cycloramas. Boston soon hosted depictions of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Ancient Jerusalem and a Hawaiian volcano were also depicted. However, the fad didn’t last. Philippoteaux’s painting now resides at Gettysburg National Military Park. It languished in a crate for years.
The Cyclorama Building itself continued to evolve. In the 1890s, it hosted boxing roller polo and bicycle riding. Later it housed auto shops. Albert Champion invented the A.C. Spark Plug here in 1907. In 1923, the Boston Flower Exchange moved in. They removed the facade and installed a skylight.
In 1971, the Cyclorama Building returned to art. The Boston Redevelopment Authority selected the Boston Center for the Arts to manage the site. It hosted Judy Chicago’s “The Dinner Party”. This installation prompted the creation of a suspended steel lighting grid. Buckminster Fuller designed it to illuminate Chicago’s work.
Today the Cyclorama Building hosts diverse events. Weddings fundraisers and even skateboarding showdowns take place here. The Boston Center for the Arts uses rental income to support its mission. The Cyclorama Building also serves as a space for artists. The collective Masary Studios combined light sound and poetry here. Impromptu performances also occur. A cellist once mesmerized the staff during lunchtime.
The Cyclorama Building stands as a reminder of Boston’s artistic spirit. It is a place where history art and community converge. The Cyclorama Building continues to evolve and inspire.