Electronic Theatre Controls’ headquarters in Middleton, Wisconsin is generally accepted as unbelievably awesome. ETC won In Business Magazine’s “Commercial Designs of the Decade” award for best development in a large building. Amongst the tangle of storefronts, theaters, and towers; its own “town square” buzzing with inspiration and creation, is a replica of a very famous diner–American realist painter Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks.” 
Some cool trivia many do not realize is–quite a few more of Edward Hopper’s paintings influenced ETC’s Town Square. The storefronts were influenced by “Early Sunday Morning” and the bank entrance at the headquarters which houses the finances department with “New York Pavements” and “Summertime.” Characters from Hopper paintings are also visible, including:
– From “Four Lane Road” an older man in a chair, located across from ETC’s deli
– Also from “Four Lane Road” the woman is seen leaning out a window above the Habberdashery (the clothing and swag shop) – “Girl at a Sewing Machine” is also across from the deli, but closer to Manufacturing
– The man from “Pennsylvania Coal Town” is seen by the Century Theatre’s ever-changing marquee
– From “New York Office,” a woman seen above the bank
– From “Room In Brooklyn” the girl sitting with her back to the window
Edward Hopper was a fabulous painter and printmaker. His works portray all the light our eyes harvest from the world magnificently, and it is really fantastic that Electronic Theatre Controls’ headquarters holds such clever tributes to Mr. Hopper. Without light, there is nothing for a painter to portray.
Nighthawks reception photo by John Jacobsen.
That’s the infamous Tom Littrell and Mike Kiktavi sitting at the table on the left of the main photo.
It is indeed! Nice spotting!
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