The restored interior is a seamless visual extension of the theater’s facade and among the most richly detailed and ornamented buildings from the turn of the century. It is distinguished by art nouveau–styled botanical motifs framing bas-relief frieze paneling depicting scenes from Shakespeare, Wagner, and Faust.
In 1982, the theater was designated a
New York City Landmark and was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places. The Hippodrome was known as the largest theatrical structure in the world at the time of its completion in 1905. Located on Sixth Avenue (now known as Avenue of the Americas) between 43rd and 44th Streets in New York City, it was designed by American architects Thomas Lamb (1871–1942) and J. H. Morgan (dates unknown) and built by show promoters Frederic Thompson (1872–1919) and Elmer S. Dundy (1862–1907), who also created Luna Park (see page 51) on Coney Island the same year. This eclectic Beaux-Arts– and Moorishstyled building included a 5,300-seat auditorium with 5,000 incandescent lightbulbs that formed a glowing sunburst pattern in its ceiling.