Clowes Memorial Hall, officially known as Clowes Memorial Hall of Butler University, is a performance hall located on the campus of

Butler University Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...

in Indianapolis,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, United States. Opened October 18, 1963, it hosts numerous significant concerts, orchestras, musicals, plays, and guest speakers. Clowes Hall anchors the Butler Arts and Events Center, which includes the Schrott Center for the Arts, Shelton Auditorium, the Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall, and the Lilly Hall Studio Theatre.

History

Clowes () Memorial Hall, which opened in 1963, was co-designed by noted Indianapolis architect

Evans Woollen III Evans Woollen III (August 10, 1927 – May 17, 2016) was an American architect who is credited for introducing the Modern and the Brutalist architecture styles to his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. Woollen, a fellow of the American Institute ...

, of

Woollen, Molzan and Partners Woollen, Molzan and Partners (WMP) is a U.S.-based second-generation architecture, interior design, and planning firm that Evans Woollen III founded in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1955. The firm was previously known as Evans Woollen and Associates a ...

, and John M. Johansen, a well-known architect who established his practice in

New Canaan, Connecticut New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. About an hour from Manhattan by train, the town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bound ...

. The performing hall is notable for its exposed concrete slabs, which are typical of the

Brutalist architecture Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the ba ...

style. Woollen served as the junior partner in the project but was the "driving force behind its design and detail." Since it opened, the architectural community has praised its bold design. In 2021, a six-person panel of

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

(AIA) Indianapolis members identified the venue among the ten most "architecturally significant" buildings completed in the city since

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The design for the , $3.5 million building was a controversial one. Still, Allen Whitehill Clowes, son of

George Henry Alexander Clowes George Henry Alexander Clowes (1877–1958) was a medical doctor who worked as the first research director at Eli Lilly and Company. He was responsible for mobilizing Eli Lilly resources to mass-produce insulin, making it available for diabetic ...

, for whom the building is named, supported Woollen's proposal. Johanson had been Woollen's professor at Yale and was a former classmate of Allen Clowes at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. Clowes, a former director of biochemical research for Eli Lilly and Company, maintained a lifetime love of the arts. With the help of his wife and Butler University, the Clowes Fund was created to help build the performing arts facility. The building was initially intended to be used by both Butler University and the

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is an American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Ci ...

. This joint venture continued until 1984 when the orchestra purchased, renovated, and moved to the historic

Hilbert Circle Theatre The Hilbert Circle Theatre, originally called the Circle Theatre, is in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Monument Circle. It was built in 1916 and consists of a Neoclassical style, white glazed terra cotta entrance section with a brick auditorium sect ...

on Monument Circle in

downtown Indianapolis Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Ma ...

Notable performances

In addition to being the former home of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Clowes Memorial Hall has been home to a number of notable music performances and productions. In 2011, Indianapolis-born

Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...

recorded his

Glam Nation Tour The Glam Nation Tour (also known as GlamNation International) was the first headlining concert tour by American singer/songwriter Adam Lambert in support of his debut album, '' For Your Entertainment''. The tour included over 100 shows in North A ...

at the venue for the ''

Glam Nation Live ''Glam Nation Live'' is the first live album by American singer Adam Lambert which was released on March 22, 2011, on DVD and CD formats. The concert was filmed at Clowes Hall in Indianapolis, Indiana during the North American leg of his Glam ...

'' CD/DVD set.

Seating capacity

References

External links

Clowes Website
{{Authority control Concert halls in Indiana Theatres in Indiana Music venues in Indiana Buildings and structures in Indianapolis University and college buildings completed in 1963 Butler University Tourist attractions in Indianapolis Brutalist architecture in Indiana

History

Notable performances

Seating capacity

See also

References

External links