Madison square garden new york - Essay Example

This paper illustrates different aspects of the Garden along with a speculation of how such a sporting venue would be, if it was to be built today. The Garden was first completed at a cost of $3,000,000 in 1890 and underwent three major renovations thereafter. The sports culture and civilization that was prevalent in the New York City in the 1890’s and 1900’s shaped the Garden to emerge into a predominant sports venue. The Madison Square Garden (known as Madison Square Garden I) was located at the 26th Street and Madison Avenue.

With a seating capacity of 10,000, the Garden was reopened to the public on May 31, 1879. The facility had a track cycling arena, and served as the venue for other popular sports such as boxing matches and circuses. The Garden I was also the first in the country to have an indoor rink. In 1890, the Madison Square Garden I was shut down. The Madison Square Garden II was designed by Mr. Stanford White, a member of the architecture firm McKim, Mead and White. The Garden II was also located at 26th and Madison Avenue.

Built on Moorish architecture, the building measured 200 feet by 485 feet with 32 stories soaring over Madison Square Park, making it the second tallest building in the city then. The Gardens main hall had a seating capacity of 8,000 people. The Madison Square Garden II was replaced by the Madison Square Garden III in 1925. The Garden also temporarily held the Diana sculpture (Encyclopedia of New York City) (see fig. 1) designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The Madison Square Garden III was located on 50th Street and Eighth Avenue, and had a seating capacity of 18,496.

Built by Tex Rickard, a boxing promoter, the Garden III was in focus for the Barnum & bailey Circus and the Ringling Bros. The arena also hosted ice hockey, basket ball, boxing matches, and other different events. The Garden III was closed in 1967 mainly because of problems such as ventilation and poor lighting. Until