University of Minnesota's Northrop Auditorium closed after part of roof collapses
Northrop Auditorium on the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus is closed, after part of the roof collapsed Wednesday night.
Shortly after 7:30 p.m., university police and Minneapolis firefighters responded to reports of a loud noise at the historic venue. They discovered visible structural damage to the exterior.
The east side of the building’s roof had partially collapsed in an area at the southeast corner of the building that houses an attic and utility systems, a university spokesperson said.
No events were happening at the time, and there were no reports of injuries.
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The U canceled a physics demonstration scheduled for the auditorium on Thursday. The auditorium and the adjacent Church Street and Northrop parking facilities on the U’s East Bank campus are closed “out of an abundance of caution,” the online notice said.
The U said the building would remain closed until structural engineers can examine the damage and the building.
Another physics demonstration is scheduled for Saturday, and a performance by the Joffrey Ballet is scheduled for the Northrop stage on Jan. 20. It wasn’t immediately clear what impact the roof damage may have on those events.
The Northrop is one of the marquee buildings on the U campus, anchoring the Northrop Mall opposite Coffman Memorial Union. It was built in 1929 and underwent a major renovation that wrapped up in 2014.
