Ovens Auditorium
2006 Preservation Award Winner
Ovens Auditorium is owned by the City of Charlotte and operated by Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA). Architect for the preservation effort was RdM Architecture, P.A. And the contractor was Welchel & Associates.
Originally Ovens designed by Odell and Associates and was completed in 1955.
Ovens Auditorium has stood as a cultural landmark in Charlotte for over 50 years. Along with its neighbor, Cricket Arena, Ovens Auditorium is one of the last remaining examples of landmark civic architecture from that period in the Carolinas. Named after David Ovens, a Charlotte businessman and philanthropist, the Auditorium was built at a cost of $4.6 million and was designed to serve as the finest location for entertainment in the City.
Since its opening, Ovens Auditorium has served as host to a variety of events, including popular Broadway musicals
such as Cats and Les Miserables, and famous performers such as David Copperfield, Johnny Mathis, Liza Minnelli and Bruce
Springsteen. The expansion and interior renovation, provided as part of a $5 million rehabilitation loan from the City, respects
the original architecture, updating both its functions and aesthetics. Contributing to the success of the project, plans
were reviewed and permitted under the new alternative building code for historic buildings, the NC Rehab Code.