 Located on the Nicollet Mall and adjacent to a beautiful public plaza, Orchestra Hall is an architectural landmark in downtown Minneapolis. The Hall - with its open glass structure and whimsical blue tubes - was designed to offer concert goers a warm, welcoming ambiance and acoustical perfection.
Orchestra Hall was constructed on the site of the former Lyceum Theater, where the Minnesota Orchestra performed from 1905 to 1930. The Hall was designed by Cyril Harris and when it opened its doors in 1974, a new era in arts and entertainment in the Upper Midwest began.
 The acoustically-acclaimed concert hall quickly
became a major performance center. Orchestra Hall
is particularly renowned for its acoustics with
each design feature carefully planned to enhance
the warmth and richness of sound in the space. Over
100 large cubes form a "falling rock"
pattern on the auditorium ceiling. These blocks
provide hundreds of surfaces that deflect sound,
making Orchestra Hall among the most acoustically
perfect theaters in the nation. The cubes were added
for sound reasons, but have visual appeal as well.
The wood floor and stage allow for better sound
vibration, and the angle of the balconies offers
optimal reflection of sound. The exterior of the
building is remarkable for its large, blue ventilation
ducts. Their unusual size was chosen to reduce air
velocities and hence noise.
In actuality, Orchestra Hall consists
of two buildings: a rectangular-shaped auditorium,
and a glass and steel supporting structure housing
the lobby and administrative office that is separated
from the auditorium by a one-inch gap to free
the concert hall from any outside sound. The result
is an acoustically brilliant space, designed for
a superb concert going experience.
Since Orchestra Hall opened in 1974,
as many as 10 million people have passed through
its doors to attend more than 4,000 concerts.
The modern look of the Hall, with its simple lines
and glass, brick and steel exterior, offered a
marked departure from the old-world opulence of
many concert halls. It was designed to emphasize
the concert experience rather than the building
itself. "Part of the magic is that the building
was designed to deformalize concert-going,"
explains architect Hugh Hardy. Orchestra Hall
features a ring of open "tiers" in the
concert hall and a series of colorful flying bridges
in the lobby to bring people together.
The Orchestra Hall lobby opens up
to Peavey Plaza, a city-owned park that features
angular waterfalls and a beautiful reflecting
pool. Orchestra Hall becomes a community focal
point in the summer, when the Orchestra's summer
music festival spills outdoors onto the Plaza.
During the winter, Peavey Plaza is home to a glittering
ice skating rink and an ideal vantage point from
which to watch the Holidazzle Parade in December.
The minimalist auditorium, which
seats over 2,500, has a large main floor with
three balconies symmetrically surrounding it.
The main floor seats 1,590 and another 983 can
be seated in the balcony tiers. You can hear from
anywhere--but the view from the back rows of the
third-tier balcony is not ideal.
The unique building design, both
inside and out, make Orchestra Hall a fun place
to attend a show. The excellent acoustics will
satisfy even the most finicky ear. Orchestra Hall
continues to be a truly grand existence in downtown
Minneapolis and a must attend for both locals
and visitors alike.
|
