Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum by Dakota Callaway is licensed under CC BY 2.0
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a unique building with an equally unique mission. It is located in Cleveland, Ohio on the banks of Lake Erie. Reminiscent of the Louvre in Paris it features a large, glass pyramid. Designed by architects Pei Cobb Freed & Partners they drew inspiration from the music itself.
The various parts emerging from the center represent music resounding from its source. The cylindrical form on the left side of the photo symbolizes a drum.
When the Hall opened in 1995 it held a benefit concert which featured artists such as Chuck Berry, Bruce Springsteen, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, and Johnny Cash.
The recently opened library and archives were awarded LEED Silver Certification status by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is used to certify green buildings around the world. At the Hall, parts from former exhibits and old fixtures go to a reclamation facility to be reused and recycled.
The Hall’s mission is to use the power of rock and roll to engage, teach, and inspire. In 2017 almost 568,000 people visited with 81% of those coming from out of town.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also supports outreach programs such as their Toddler Rock program which engages at-risk-youth and learning programs for students. So far over 300,000 students and 5,000 at-risk-youth have participated.
From the number of visitors and participants it looks like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is succeeding in its mission and hopefully, it continues to do so for many years to come.
