Sarasota Municipal Auditorium

The Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, also known as the Municipal Auditorium-Recreation Club, is a historic multi-purpose facility built in 1938. It is owned and operated by the municipal government of Sarasota, Florida. The auditorium has 10000sqft of potential exhibit space on its main floor and also contains an unusual Art Deco style stage measuring 1500sqft. It has been used for many community functions and recreational activities and is located on a large parcel of public land that is reserved for civic uses. It has also been known as the Sarasota Exhibition Hall or the Sarasota Civic Center Exhibition Hall. The auditorium and its outdoor recreational facilities are located at 801 Tamiami Trail North, within easy walking distance of the urban core of the city and its nearby high-rise downtown residences. On February 24, 1995, the complex was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.DescriptionThe building has a barrel vaulted roof. The structure contains a generous amount of glass block in its eastern elevation that provides natural lighting for the interior of the large building, especially needed because of lighting issues related to a vault structure. Typically, the design of the auditorium is described as Modrene and Art Deco, but elements of the design also suggest the International Style that is associated with the Bauhaus.