Page "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" Paragraph 5

At a point in the planning phase when a financing gap existed, a proposal was made for the Rock Hall to be located in the then-vacant May Company Building, but it was finally decided that architect I. M. Pei would be commissioned to design a new building.

Initial CEO Dr. Larry Thompson facilitated I. M. Pei as designs for the site were made.

Pei came up with the idea of a tower with a glass pyramid protruding from it.

The museum tower was initially planned to stand high, but it had to be cut down to due to its proximity to Burke Lakefront Airport.

The building's base is approximately.

The groundbreaking ceremony was June 7, 1993, with Pete Townshend and Chuck Berry doing the honors.

The first curator of the Hall of Fame was Dr. Bruce Conforth, a former folk musician, rock musician, and artist who was also a professor of folklore, ethnomusicology, American culture, and blues music at the University of Michigan.

The museum opened on September 2, 1995, with the ribbon being cut by an ensemble that included Yoko Ono and Little Richard, among others.