The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra onstage at Powell Hall, which was built in 1925. The orchestra plans to renovate and expand the hall. Photo by Brian Munoz
“The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra plans to renovate and expand its [1925] home, Powell Hall, in a project the organization’s leaders expect to cost about $100 million,” writes Jeremy Goodwin in Wednesday’s (3/16) St. Louis Public Radio. “The 65,000-square-foot expansion will include a new entrance lobby, dedicated space for education programs and a new backstage area for musicians. Orchestra leaders will announce a fundraising campaign to pay for the project [which they] hope to … complete … in 2025.… The project includes plans to replace all of the seats in the concert hall [and] reduce audience capacity by about 500, to 2,150…. A 3,400-square-foot addition … will include rehearsal space for the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, IN UNISON Chorus and St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra…. Architecture firm Snøhetta … is leading the project…. Two St. Louis firms … Christner Architects … and … BSI Constructors, are on the project team. Also involved are two Chicago firms: planning consultant Shuler Shook and acoustic designer Kirkegaard.” President and CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard said, “Our goal is to be able to have a concert on our main stage while the education center is being used and while someone might be in the lobby hosting a reception.”
