When it first opened in 1928, the opulent Fox Oakland Theater in Oakland, Calif. was considered one of the finest movie palaces ever built. Fans thronged to the exotic domed temple, whose Moorish, Indian and Medieval architecture defied description, and marveled at its terra cotta tiles, paintings and sculptures of golden deities. For more than three decades, the Fox held its own as a first-run movie house in a bustling downtown entertainment and shopping district. But as suburban malls and multiplexes began to lure moviegoers away from downtown Oakland, the Fox closed its doors in 1973. In the years that followed, the grand theater escaped the wrecking ball more than once, but suffered fires, leaky roofs, decay and graffiti. Continue Reading

When the Fox Oakland opened in 1928 at the northern edge of downtown, it was one of the grand movie palaces of the day, its ornate architecture intended to evoke an exotic version of India and the Far East. Designed by San Francisco architectural firm Weeks & Day, the Fox had a vestibule with imported marble walls supporting a gold frieze beneath an ornately patterned dome; the 3,400-seat auditorium sparkled with gold leaf and gold light fixtures and had intricately painted walls, a stenciled plaster ceiling, and a stage flanked by two tall statues of Hindu warriors. Opening day drew a crowd of 20,000. Millions attended movies and performances at the Fox until the decline of downtown Oakland in the 1960s forced the theater to close. It remained largely unused for decades, suffering arson, vandalism, and neglect – and narrowly escaping being razed for a parking lot before being named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Continue Reading

Phil Tagami's parents went on their first date in 1959 to Oakland's Fox Theater, a gilded movie palace on Telegraph Avenue. In 1965, the venue closed, and for more than four decades it has been largely vacant, crumbling from neglect. "It's been shuttered for virtually my entire life," said Tagami, a 40-year-old developer who owns several buildings nearby and never had the opportunity to attend an event at the theater. But now Oakland, which hired Tagami as a consultant, is spending millions to resurrect the 1928 vintage Fox, a step the city sees as key to bringing new life to a neighborhood -- and city -- in need of revitalization. Continue Reading Download Article

After 40 years of sitting vacant in Oakland’s Uptown district, the Fox Theatre reopened last Thursday with more than a touch of class. Originally built in 1928 by architects Weeks & Day (also the architects of San Francisco’s Mark Hopkins hotel), the Fox was reconceptualized by long time Berkeley architecture firm ELS and renovated by Architectural Dimensions. Anchoring the Uptown area of Oakland, the Fox Theatre will infuse much needed life into the district. This formerly boarded-up and vacant area, just north of downtown Oakland, was the centerpiece of former Mayor Jerry Brown’s 10K plan, a redevelopment scheme to bring an additional 10,000 residents to Oakland’s core. As with every urban redevelopment scheme, a few true believers kept plugging on, hoping that Uptown, a once thriving area, could experience a rebirth. Jeff Chew (Oakland Community Economic Development Agency) and Phil Tagami (Oakland developer) were the prime movers in the Fox’s return to prominence; they tapped James Heilbronner (Architectural Dimensions) as lead architect and Kurt Schindler (ELS) as historic architect. Continue Reading