By: John Pedersen
There has been a good deal of interest from downtown passers by as students from the University of Texas at San Antonio’s College of Architecture poke around the old Martini Theater with tape measures and sketch pads in hand. The most common question asked by Galvestonians, “Are ya going restore this old theater?”
The UTSA Master’s of Architecture students are enrolled in the College of Architecture’s HIstoric Preservation Field School, and are here in Galveston to get hands on experience in the field of architectural preservation. This is the second summer for the Field School to be held in Galveston. Working closely with the Galveston Historic Foundation, the architecture students are investigating several preservation projects on the island, chief among them is studying the possible restoration and reuse of the historic 1937 Martini Theater on 21st and Church Street. Also on the agenda is helping the GHF develop plans to improve accessibility at the Bishop’s Palace, fallowing the American’s with Disabilities Act guidelines, and investigate landscape regeneration along the Broadway corridor, restoring the vegetation and monuments after the damage inflicted upon them post Ike.
The principle project the students are tackling is an investigation of the Martini Theater located at 21st and Church Streets. When built in 1937, the Martini was Galveston’s first state of the art, modern movie house. Built by local theater impresario A. Martini, the striking Art Deco building designed by Scott Dunne, featured such innovations as enamel and stainless steel decorative elements, air-conditioning, and the latest RCA “Magic Voice” sound system. The Martini was cutting edge socially as well, being the first theater in Galveston to be integrated in the 1960s.
The UTSA students will be producing a full set of conceptual rehabilitation drawings of the theater and photographing its current condition. They will also be assessing what steps need to be taken to restore and reestablish a use for this landmark structure. While this is an academic project for these architecture students, it is hoped that their work will help the Martini family and the GHF breath new life into this old theater that could serve as a real asset to the growing entertainment district in the Post Office Street neighborhood.
The UTSA students are also helping the GHF in developing solutions to make the Bishop’s Palace more accessible for visitors with disabilities, always a challenge when working with ninetieth century building. The goal is to provide a comprehensive and dignified experience for everyone who wishes to visit and learn about the GHF’s most popular historic property.
Finally the class will be surveying the historic landscape of Broadway, Galveston’s main thoroughfare. After the damage inflected by Ike, documenting what has survived, and what was lost or damaged is essential for planning a redevelopment of this area.