Sunday, October 5: 3:00 pm
Come join the Friends of Maryland’s Olmsted Parks & Landscapes (FMOPL) and Doors Open Baltimore with the Baltimore Architecture Foundation (BAF) for an informative tour of The Rotunda in Hampden, which has been repurposed and reinvented as a core community asset over the years.
It was one of only two projects that the Olmsted Brothers landscape architecture firm designed in Maryland as the grounds for Commercial & Industrial buildings. What the Olmsted Brother’s master planned for the Maryland Casualty Company in the early 1920s was quite impressive – an extensive business campus of twenty-five acres, situated in a landscaped park with winding footpaths, recreational fields, tennis courts, and a coy pond. Prominently featured was the iconic 4-story administrative building designed by architect Otto G. Simonson in 1921, with its distinct bell and clock tower that serves as a landmark for the community today.
After Maryland Casualty vacated the building, the site became one of Baltimore’s first adaptive reuse projects in 1973, serving the community with critical commercial infrastructure in the historic structure. In 2016, after a $90 Million renovation and redevelopment, the site expanded its offerings to include the Icon Apartment building with almost 380 units as well as a Central Green that provides a vibrant outdoor gathering space for residents, visitors, and the surrounding community. The Rotunda was acquired by MCB Real Estate in 2022, who continue to renovate and enhance the historic property, making it an ideal place in Baltimore to live, work and play.
The tour will be led by Jillian Storms (BAF & FMOPL board member) who has studied the Olmsted’s original design, as well as Eric Wohnsigl (project architect) and Brian Reetz (landscape architect) with Design Collective, both whom worked on the Rotunda Redevelopment project. Tour will happen rain or shine, and will start at base of the historic tower at 711 West 40th Street.
Please visit the Doors Open Baltimore website to register:
https://app.tickethive.com/f/doors-open-baltimore-2025/rotunda-tour-hosted-by-fmopl?date=2025-10-05 more
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