Looks Important
Apr. 15th, 2015 09:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tbutler
...or at least that's still the association I get from buildings like this.
Hoch Auditorium was built in the 1920's as the main auditorium for the University of Kansas; originally to host the basketball team, but also as a concert venue and other giant assemblies. I remember seeing Fantasia there, for the first time when I was old enough to really picture it. I remember an orientation assembly there, where even a fairly large crowd felt dwarfed by the echoing hall. The seats looked at least 30 years old, possibly older.
And then in 1991, lightning struck and started a fire that gutted the building; only part of the walls and the lobby were left standing.
Hoch was rebuilt behind that facade; the new building was named Budig Hall, after the Chancellor who worked to raise the funds. The Hoch name was retained for the front of the building, though.
no subject
Date: 2015-04-16 04:40 am (UTC)I just... can't understand the mindset of someone who would deliberately set fire to a historic treasure like that. Yeah, great that he decided not to attack buses that would kill lots of people, but it's still... just senseless vandalism. Like they were just striking out and trying to hurt people with fond memories of it.