The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way, influenced the music industry through the genre of rock music. The museum is part of the city’s redeveloped North Coast Harbor.
Since opening in 1995, the Rock Hall has hosted more than 8.5 million visitors and had a cumulative economic impact to Cleveland estimated at more than $1.8 billion. The Museum and its activities are responsible for creating more than 950 jobs with an economic impact of more than $100 million annually.
For the past 25 years the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation has inducted new members to the Hall of Fame. The formal induction ceremony has been held in New York City every year except 1993 and 2013, when it took place in Los Angeles, and 1997, 2009 and 2012, when it was held in Cleveland.
Designed by I.M. Pei, the building rises above the shores of Lake Erie. It is a combination of bold geometric forms and dynamic cantilevered spaces that are anchored by a 162-foot tower. The tower supports a dual-triangular-shaped glass “tent” that extends (at its base) onto a 65,000-square-foot plaza which provides a main entry façade. The building houses more than 55,000 square feet of exhibition space, as well as administrative offices, a store, and a café.
“In designing this building,” Pei said, “it was my intention to echo the energy of rock and roll. I have consciously used an architectural vocabulary that is bold and new, and I hope the building will become a dramatic landmark for the city of Cleveland and for fans of rock and roll around the world.”
Since 1997, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has featured numerous temporary exhibits that range in size from major exhibits that fill the top two floors of the Museum to smaller exhibits that are often installed in the main exhibition hall on the lower level. The Museum also devotes exhibits to photography and artwork related to rock and roll. Among the photographers whose work has been featured at the Hall of Fame are George Kalinsky, Alfred Wertheimer, Tommy Edwards, Kevin Mazur, Janet Macoska, Lynn Goldsmith, Mike McCartney, Robert Alford and George Shuba. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum produces numerous public programs, including concerts, interviews, lectures, film screenings and other events that help tell the story of rock and roll.
