Widely remembered as an illustrious wedding venue, the Aria building in downtown Minneapolis holds a dramatic history that stretches back to 1889, when it first rose as a bustling industrial warehouse with grand architectural ambition.
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Producer: Amira Warren-Yearby Editorial support: Britt Aamodt & Emily Krumberger
Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood
Transcript
Right on the corner of 1st and 1st street, Minneapolis architect Edward Stebbins broke ground on a 3-story warehouse. Opened in 1889, It was known as the Produce Exchange. But the building had its heart set on higher things. It was soon acquired by a larger company that hired architect Cass Gilbert who added a fourth floor. About a decade later, fires broke out on the inside, completely gutting the central spaces. Fortunately, the building was well insured and could be rebuilt. But this time, Gilbert, still the main architect, made the remodel fireproof. He bridged the north and south wing into one building, added steel bars on the windows and Italian Gothic detailing. The building reopened as a storage facility – unique at the time for safety. Through the years, the red-lined brick building has been completely revolutionized for gathering people; a performance theater, an event center and now a church.