Project Index

Schuler Shook worked along with Studio RED Architects to provide theatre planning, theatrical systems design, and seating and platform systems design for the Visual & Performing Arts Center.

The 30,000-square-foot facility includes a 338-seat proscenium theater, a 100-seat black box theater, rehearsal spaces, an art gallery, and classrooms.

Schuler Shook’s scope in the main theater included a catwalk system and side lighting positions supporting both technical access and creative staging. The black box theatre includes modular audience seating and staging options to accommodate varied performance styles.

The renovation of the Scottsdale Civic Plaza Mall was developed through community outreach, with the vision of creating three outdoor performance spaces for people to gather and experience arts and culture. Schuler Shook was brought on to help make the city’s vision a reality. 

The East Bowl Canopy provides a shade canopy covered performance space with a sloped lawn audience area. The canopy is outfitted with a permanent lighting system for easy setup, rigging points for larger productions, and wireless lighting controls.

The 360 Canopy houses two performance areas on opposite sides of a cluster of banyan trees. An undulating ribbon of canopy encompasses the trees and covers the performance areas and interconnecting walkways. Both spaces have automated architectural lighting and an integrated control system that can connect to temporary production equipment allowing for maximum control.

The Forney ISD Opportunity Central (OC) is a $150 million facility designed to enhance learning, performance, and community engagement. Featuring a 6,000-seat arena, a 600-seat black box theatre, and a lecture hall, the venue is built for versatility. Schuler Shook collaborated with the architect and school district to provide theatre planning and design services, including sightline studies, seating configurations, production lighting, rigging, and performer support areas. Their work ensured seamless integration of production-ready systems, bringing this innovative space to life for students, artists, and the community.

Schuler Shook provided comprehensive theatre planning and architectural lighting design for the University of Memphis’s Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center, an innovative music facility crafted to support the next generation of performers. This 83,000-square-foot venue houses a 900-seat convertible concert/opera hall, along with rehearsal spaces and cutting-edge music technology, all designed to inspire both students and audiences.

Our team was focused on designing performance systems that elevate the artistic and educational experience. We were responsible for developing the stage lighting, rigging, concert shell, pit lift, performance lighting, and production infrastructure, ensuring the facility can accommodate a wide array of musical performances.

Key considerations such as sightlines, accessibility, and audience comfort were prioritized to create an immersive and intimate environment for both concert and opera experiences.

Austin’s long time public television station, KLRU teamed up with Austin Community College to build state-of-the- art broadcast studios that will increase community engagement and offer enhanced workplace development programs. The largest is a 6,500-square foot studio with retractable seating that can deploy to create a wraparound studio audience of more than 400 for a variety of events, including community forums, film and lecture series, and filming and screenings. Motorized lighting battens in the studio will add to its flexibility and ease of changeover. The second studio of 1,550 square feet has an open floor and lighting pipe grid above. The third studio of 2,500 square feet is operated by ACC. The studio has an open floor plan, lighting pipe grid above, and a built in green screen area.

Schuler Shook provided planning for audience areas and studio infrastructure and production consultation. New production systems by Schuler Shook include retractable audience eating, staging platform systems, studio lighting fixtures and control, studio grids, and rigging systems.

Schuler Shook collaborated with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and the design team on this significant historic restoration. We designed new electric lighting for the Tiffany stained-glass dome and assisted with the chandeliers and sconces, which were fully re-created from historic photos. Our goal was to simulate the original look and feel of the lighting using modern LED technologies.

Prior to this project, the Tiffany dome had an opaque cover, added during a previous renovation. This opaque cover was removed, restoring the dome to its original design allowing natural light to illuminate the dome during the day with LED lighting simulating sunlight after dark.

This exhibit takes visitors on Malala’s journey from her home in the Swat Valley of Pakistan to her tireless global crusade for the right of all girls to have an education, despite harsh Taliban threats and repressive retaliation. The immersive show tells her inspiring story of perseverance and courage in the face of life-threatening opposition and eventual triumph as the youngest person to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

This new facility serves the entire Plano Independent School District community, allowing students to perform and attend events with access to fine arts activities not available on individual campuses. It includes a 1,545-seat proscenium theatre, black box theatre, multi-purpose room, art gallery, and support spaces.

The theatre features a full-height fly loft, concert shell, variable acoustic banners and curtains, state-of-the-art theatrical lighting, and a motorised orchestra pit lift. The black box includes a retractable seating system and catwalks for flexible lighting and rigging.

Schuler Shook provided theatre planning, seating, stage lighting, rigging and curtains, orchestra shell, pit lift, and variable acoustic system. Their architectural lighting design covered the lobbies, audience chambers, art gallery and display areas, and restrooms.

In need of major upgrades, State Farm began a multi-phase renovation process involving several projects on its campus. Schuler Shook provided lighting design for State Farm’s Tower E and for a vast, four-story atrium.

The new outdoor amphitheatre in Nelson Park is part of the Decatur Park District’s long-term plans for development of the town’s lakeshore.

Southbank Park serves as the ​“front door” to the seven-acre Southbank planned development along the Chicago River. The design team focused on landscaping for a natural habitat open to the public yet maintained by the private owner. The parkland connects to an accessible riverwalk via multiple gently curving walkways. Schuler Shook’s lighting design approach was to work within that ecosystem, creating spaces for people to gather while controlling illumination in areas intended for bird migration and wildlife.

As a part of the University of Chicago’s Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, Breasted Hall serves as a space for the institute’s events and lectures, as well as lectures and admissions tours. A renovation to the 1931 hall was conducted to restore the historic space and improve lighting and accessibility. The room now complies with UChicago’s ADA+ standards.

The new Music Education Complex at Texas A&M University-Kingsville includes a 500-seat performance hall, 100-seat recital/lecture hall, four large ensemble rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, classrooms and offices, collaborative spaces, and a recording studio. The building replaces the existing music building that was acoustically and spatially inadequate for TAMU-Kingsville’s active and growing programs. Schuler Shook provided programming and theatrical planning and design. Both the performance and recital halls include theatrical lighting systems for general concert illumination and atmospheric lighting effects, controllable through lighting consoles or accessed as pre-programmed presets for simple operation.

The performance hall, recital hall, and four large rehearsal rooms have curtain systems to adjust the acoustical characteristic for different types of ensembles. Additionally, the performance hall features two motorised, tilting reflector panels over the platform for further acoustical adjustment. These systems are motorised in the two halls for easily repeatable operation.

The renovation of the 3,500 seat Pavilion included acoustical, lighting and rigging upgrades. The new orchestra enclosure consists of wall panels and overhead panels, which are required to shift quickly from orchestra concert mode to popular concert mode. The wall panels both pivot and track into storage positions, and the tilt mechanism for the overhead panels can be remotely activated without lowering the panels to the floor, which saves many hours of stage setup time.

The new orchestra lighting consists of a combination of halogen and ceramic metal halide — this system is energy efficient and also requires less air conditioning to keep the stage cool in the summer heat. The renovation also included new house lighting, which was arranged in a radial pattern to match the seating layout.

In concert with JCDA, Schuler Shook provided the lighting design for a tunable white linear art installation. ​“Horizon Light” is connected to the arrival canopy of the O’Hare Consolidated Car Rental Facility (CONRAC), a multi-modal transit centre where air travel connects with light transit, rail, bus and vehicular travel.

Originally constructed in 1927 as a World War I memorial, this 3,500-seat reconfigurable auditorium provides a home for concerts, ceremonies and events serving the City of Sacramento. Memorial Auditorium was renovated as part of an initiative to improve convention and performance venues in an effort to attract visitors and events to the city.

Caruth Auditorium is a 490-seat concert hall used by Meadow School of the Arts. The auditorium is used for recitals, symphonic and choral concerts, and as a teaching space. The star instrument of the room is Opus 101, a beautiful C.B. Fisk pipe organ.

Schuler Shook provided design services for new organ lighting, new house lighting, and performance lighting upgrades. Color-changing LED wash lights highlight the organ and minimize heat gain on the pipes. New LED house lighting provides even illumination throughout the audience areas. Color-changing lights wash the side walls and uplight the ceiling reflectors. Circulation lighting was added to improve safety. Replacement theatrical lighting fixtures were tested, selected, and installed based on their photometric performance, power-saving LED technology, and flexible power control for silent operation. Motorized electrics battens were added for easy access to theatrical lighting instruments over the performance platform and audience seating. The result is a flexible, visually appealing room having lower heat and power loads, colour-changing capabilities throughout, and simple operation. 

In 2018 the new Student Life Center opened at St. Agnes Academy, a Catholic high school for young women in Houston, TX. The project included both new construction and adaptive reuse of an existing stage to a black box theatre. The new centre houses Sr. Jane Meyer, O.P. Assembly and Performance Hall; Arthur W. Buckley Theatre; 125-seat studio theatre; Jamieson Family Dance Studio; student commons; and additional classrooms. 

To help the school maximize use of the 1,300-seat theatre, the balcony can be closed off from the remainder of the audience chamber to create a 240-seat lecture room.

Schuler Shook provided full theatre consulting services for the proscenium theatre and studio theatre including planning, designing and specifying audience seating and sightlines, stage rigging and curtains, variable acoustic curtains, stage lighting power and control systems, stage lighting fixtures, concert enclosure, portable platforms, and pit filler platforms. We also specified portable platform systems for future purchase for the 125-seat studio theatre.

Originally constructed in 1937, this Art Deco visual and performing arts building was renovated and enhanced, with the addition of a new 100-seat black box theater, make-up and dressing rooms, arts studios and music rehearsal rooms. The historic decorative details of the 800-seat auditorium were restored, including the ornate seat standards. The audience experience was improved with air-conditioning and an electro-acoustic system.

River Spirit Casino and Resort underwent a major expansion project. The massive project included a Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant, Paradise Cove Theatre (which is a 2,500+ seat showroom for live entertainment and sporting events), a 22-story 500-key upscale hotel tower, a world-class spa, convention and meeting centre, and new restaurants. 

Schuler Shook provided theatre planning services that included performance and architectural lighting control systems design, theatre seating including the VIP suites with open ​“Party Decks”. Seating is flexible to accommodate arena-style seating for MMA events. Schuler Shook also provided the rigging control system for in-house and touring production hoist control and conjunction with advisory services for rigging support steel and for catwalk layouts. 

Architectural lighting design services included house lighting for the theatre and VIP area, main casino lobby and floor, guest rooms and suites, fitness centre, hotel corridors, pool bar, ballroom and associated pre-function space and meeting rooms. 

A.D. Players is a professional, resident theatre company founded by Jeannette Clift George in 1967. Mrs. George’s vision for the company included having a performing arts complex in the Houston Galleria district to produce and present theatre from a Christian perspective.

After nearly 70 years, the lighting of the clock tower at the Minneapolis Municipal Building was restored to the original design intent. Using the architect’s drawings as a guide, the glass and the support structure was restored to look as it did when the building was built in the early 1900’s. Minneapolis Architects Long and Keys designed the Municipal Building as a landmark structure, drawing on neo-Romanesque themes of Boston architect H.H.

Richardson. The tower is the crowning jewel of the building, with four clock faces that measure 24 feet in diameter. It is the largest four-faced, chiming clock in the world. The tower also serves as a symbol of great city of Minneapolis.

Using a technique taken from theatrical lighting, Schuler Shook used a ​“bounce drop” – a highly reflective curtain hung behind each clock face. A bank of highly efficient LED floodlights illuminate the drop, and the reflected light provides an even wash of light that back-lights the clock face, without shadows from support structure.

The glowing glass silhouettes the clock hands, allowing citizens to read the time-of-day from miles away.

Named in recognition of its neighbourhood, the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston is better known as MATCH. The nonprofit group was formed expressly to create new space where artists around Houston could come together to collaborate and present their work. The MATCH facility is custom designed with input from over 40 arts groups. The resulting structure contains four performance venues referred to as MATCH boxes located in two buildings — North and South — connected by a sweeping breezeway to the plaza. MATCH supports dance, music, theatre, visual art, film, performance art, and others in the new facility.

Each ​“box” is slightly different. MATCH Box 1, a flexible theatre with seating for 100 in the round, has white walls that allow it to easily serve as an art gallery. Blackout curtains help return it to a performance space. MATCH Box 2 is an end-stage dance theatre with a permanent resilient dance floor and seating for 159. MATCH Box 3 can seat about 140 and is a more traditional black box theatre. MATCH Box 4, an end stage proscenium space with seating for 329, has catwalks for theatrical support and adjustable acoustic curtains. Boxes 1 through 3 feature pipe grids for overhead support. 

Ballet Memphis’ new studio space replaced an abandoned French Quarter hotel located in Overton Square. The building is approximately 30,000 SF and includes five studios, community spaces, costume shop and offices. The building features large windows where passerbys are be able to watch ballet dancers and students rehearse.

Walton Arts Center greatly expanded and modernized their facilities to be able to more easily fulfill their mission as a major community arts centre. Schuler Shook provided theatre consulting and architectural lighting design services.

Schuler Shook provided architectural lighting design services for a new, four-story glass box processing centre with a mostly open office floor plan. Demountable partitions were used extensively in the project so the lighting system had to be flexible enough to accommodate the reconfiguring of the space. 

The control system allowed each fixture to have an individual address so that when walls changed position lighting control zones could be reconfigured to provide discrete control for the newly enclosed space. The project was first designed with fluorescent fixtures for budget reasons, but during the bidding phase the owner decided that the upgrade to all LED was worth the additional cost. 

The McAllen Performing Arts Center hosts a variety of Broadway shows, Valley Symphony Orchestra, local music and popular entertainment acts, dance, and dramatic productions for McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley. The theatre seats about 1,800 patrons on three levels and features a generously-sized stage, orchestra pit with lift, motorised/ counterweight fly system, programmable Venetian-style valance, orchestra shell, motorised adjustable acoustic curtains, and extensive theatrical lighting. Schuler Shook provided full theatre design services and architectural lighting for the performing arts theatre.

This new 1,000 seat theatre serves the larger community with a wide variety of performance activities, and it also supports Bendigo Senior Secondary College. The project made possible the sustainable re-use of the former Sandhurst Gaol, which was re-purposed and renovated to serve as the front of house public space to the new adjoining theatre, providing historic character to the venue.

Schuler Shook collaborated closely with Y2 Architecture and Acoustic Studio in the planning and equipping of the new theatre. Ulumbarra Theatre is the largest regional venue in Victoria and is capable of presenting theatre, musical theatre, music, dance, cinema, community ceremonies, and a variety of audio-visual productions, for local and regional artists as well as touring productions. 

Located on Goose Island in the heart of Chicago, UI LABS’ new Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) is the product of a collaborative initiative among government agencies, key universities, and industry partners. 

DMDII is a comprehensively equipped technology hub, seamlessly blending the manufacturing areas with adjacent open office and support spaces. The 94,000 SF facility is organized around themes of openness, transparency, industrial might, and environmentally friendly strategies, linking together a manufacturing floor, classrooms, a lecture hall, and flexible work spaces to foster collaboration and spur innovation. 

This new performing arts centre replaced the significant Fine Arts Auditorium on campus. The new building include a 1,000-seat auditorium and music rehearsal rooms with planning for a future recital hall. 

While primarily used for music performances, including the Valley Symphony Orchestra, the centre also supports dance performances, especially folkloric dance with mariachi accompaniment.

Schuler Shook provided full theatre design services and architectural lighting for the theatre, main lobby, grand stair, second floor lobbies, first floor side gallery spaces and the building façade.

The Austin Independent School District desired a new performing arts facility that would be available for use by all schools in the district. The centralized facility houses a multi-purpose proscenium theatre seating 1,200, a 250 seat black box theatre, dance studio, multi-purpose room, kiln room, and an individual recording studio.

Originally constructed in 1937 as a field house and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, this adaptive reuse provides the Fayetteville Arkansas campus of the University of Arkansas with its only true music venue. The space includes a 587-seat concert hall, musical instrument and stage storage areas, lobbies and event spaces.

Schuler Shook completed the feasibility study, conceptual study and programming for the university in 2011. Schuler Shook also provided full theatre planning design services which encompassed theatrical planning, audience seating, and technical systems design. Motorized lighting battens and ceiling reflectors, variable acoustic curtains, and platform lifts provide flexibility to the space to allow for different sizes and types of ensembles. 

An 18,000 SF restaurant, The Boathouse is developed around the theme of showcasing dream boats and finely crafted food. Lighting helps create drama and excitement throughout each space. Features include lakeside dining, display cooking, sushi bar, a stage for live music, and two full bars; one that is located on the dock and surrounded by boats.

Schuler Shook designed the lighting for the immersive restaurant’s multiple spaces as well as the exterior, the harbor master’s tower, and docking area. Lighting schemes are well-integrated to support multiple experiences, as the restaurant and entertainment space was built to look like a series of buildings ranging from a supply store to a boat manufacturing facility. 

Built in 1957, Swathout Hall was renovated in 2015 to expand the platform size, provide better ADA access, upgrade the performance technology, and update the hall’s finishes. The performance hall is well-equipped to host solo and chamber music performances, as well as occasional chamber opera productions.

A re-development project integrated lighting, across the exterior façade of an entire block, to re-vitalize a fading landmark, address security issues, and add excitement to the area.

Color-changing LED fixtures were implemented to uplight the perforated metal mesh façade with a series of 5 to 8 minute light shows. The colour washes and patterns cross-fade, wrapping around the block in a planned sequence, creating an impressive
street vibe. When local sports team are playing home games, the team colours are featured in a sequence that starts with single colours, and progresses to moving blocks of colour and change with increasing frequency.

Schuler Shook worked closely with Cuningham Group and the Alexandria School District to design a state of the art performing arts centre for their new high school. The 1,000-seat auditorium has a generously sized stage to support a wide variety of performances including vocal and instrumental music, drama, musical theatre, dance, lectures and assemblies 

The Hattiloo Theatre is a Black repertory theatre that began in 2005. The new theatre building includes two theatres, a lobby used for public performance and private events, dressing rooms and concession areas. Construction for the new building began in June 2013 and opened in July 2014. There are two black box theatres including the large main stage theatre which is a flexible space able to seat up to 180 audience. The second theatre can seat up to 58. 

The Langham Chicago is the international luxury brand’s third hotel in the United States and the first to be built within a Mies van der Rohe skyscraper. The Langham Chicago was named #1 in the continental US by Travel + Leisure magazine’s 2014 ​“World’s Best” awards.

The hotel is located on 13 floors of the protected structure, originally known as IBM Plaza. Architects at Goettsch Partners collaborated with Interior Designers Richmond International to create new, two-story volumes, lending height and daylight to the primary public spaces.

Guest rooms and suites feature warm indirect LED light coves, dedicated reading lights, glowing built-in vanity fixtures, and a guest-friendly control system that allows users to easily control individual zones, or all fixtures at once.

Our lighting scope included the hotel entry canopy, ground floor entry lobby, hotel reception lobby, lobby lounge, hotel guest rooms and suites, ballroom and meeting facilities, Pavilion tea lounge, Chuan Spa and the Health Club with special pool lighting.

The entry canopy and first floor lobby were designed in collaboration with Lohan Associates, and included a full scale canopy mockup that was reviewed and approved by the Landmarks Commission. Long life and energy efficient LED sources were used to create a rigorously ordered marquee announcing the main entry into the hotel.

Schuler Shook provided lighting design services on this fast-tracked project at the historic Hilton Chicago. The hotel’s restaurant, the bar/lounge area, and the grab-and-go retail space were renovated or entirely re-concepted, requiring new lighting designs as part of the brand and ambience for each of the three food and beverage areas.

The Mansfield ISD Center for the Performing Arts is a multi-purpose facility that was designed to service students, staff and the entire community. The building features a 5,000-seat performing arts theatre with balcony, meeting spaces, lecture halls and banquet areas. The performance hall can be divided into three separate spaces allowing for two smaller halls with 640-seats each and the main hall seating 4,200. 

Schuler Shook provided full theatre design services for the auditorium. The auditorium features a cross-over aisle that increases accessibility, improves circulation and provides camera positions. Other features of the project include a fly loft with motorised rigging; orchestra pit; pit lift; catwalks; acoustical concert enclosure; control booths; performance lounge and dressing rooms. 

River Spirit Casino, located on the Arkansas River, captures elements that are significant to the Muscogee Creek Nation’s culture: farming, community, water, air, sky. Along the front facade, specialty light poles guide guests to the entry. 

Inside the front entry, guests are greeted with a beaded curtain, highlighted to sparkle and shimmer like rain. Large cloud shaped elements, using LEDs, mimic the sky over the Nation and draw the guest into the casino. The lounge has a bubbly glow from various sized pendants suspended at random heights. Bordering the gaming area, vertical tree elements are internally illuminated, giving the suggestion of native trees lining the side of the river bank. 

Schuler Shook collaborated with the design team to provide integrated architectural lighting that reinforces the tribal themes and the concept of the casino.

Schuler Shook provided architectural lighting design for MB Financial Park at Rosemont, now Parkway Bank Park, a new multi-season park in the entertainment district of the Village of Rosemont, Illinois. The lighting design scope includes the skating rink, plaza, pedestrian paths, and seven new restaurant facades. 

The park is situated in a nine-acre development that includes several busy restaurants and pubs, providing a welcome outdoor activity area in combination with dining and retail spaces for a true multi-season entertainment environment.

The 333 West Wacker building is a post-modern office tower well-known for its distinctive green glass façade that curves along the Chicago River. This 1983 structure has two separate entry lobbies connected by three elevator lobbies. Pre-renovation, the lobby had dark ceilings, walls, and floors. Spaces felt dim and imbalanced — particularly when compared to the bright, daylit windows beyond. The primary goal of the renovation was to transform the lobbies of this timeless classic into a bright, inviting entry.

Schuler Shook, Perkins+Will and the owner worked together to identify new fixture locations and types that respond better to the dark stone of the lobby. The new lobby lighting features compact fluorescent downlights that bathe the walls with light. Wall panels are polished, so fixtures have regressed lamps in order to minimize reflections in the panels. Floor and ceiling tiles are now white to increase overall light levels and the perception of brightness.

The new performing arts centre at the Lone Star College — Tomball campus replaces a smaller performance facility and provides students and faculty with a fully outfitted space for theatre education and performance. 

Schuler Shook provided theatre consulting services for a 425-seat multi-purpose theatre with orchestra shell for music concerts. The theatrical equipment includes 16 single purchase counterweight sets and seven motorised lineshaft rigging sets, adjustable acoustic curtains and orchestra pit with filler platforms. Schuler Shook also designed the theatrical lighting systems and advised on the seating.

This Target store location competes with other mall tenants, with a lower level entry from a busy mall atrium, and needed a unique identity to stand out from the crowd and draw shoppers in. Schuler Shook helped Target create an energetic lighting design to do just that. Bright, backlit side walls and graphic panels, combined with random parallel light slots on the entry ceiling, guide shoppers down escalators from the mall atrium above. The entrance is immersed with colour, energy and a bit of excitement. 

Herbert W. Armstrong College was founded in 2001 and several years later construction began on a new 823 seat auditorium. The new eight-story concert hall is located on the campus of Herbert W. Armstrong College and was built to serve the community by hosting various professional Broadway-style performances. The building also serves as a space for the Philadelphia Church of God services and provides classrooms for Armstrong College music department.

Texas A&M University — Commerce has a rich history dating back to 1889, and music education has long played a part in the university’s success. The original music building was built in 1956. With the continued growth of the Department of Music, the university determined that a new, state-of-the-art building was needed now and for the future. 

The new 69,500 SF Music Building consists of the 530-seat Lou and Jack Finney Concert Hall, an 85-seat recital hall, large rehearsal spaces, offices, and teaching and practice rooms. 

Schuler Shook provided theatre planning, lighting and rigging systems design for the new concert hall, recital hall and rehearsal rooms. 

Northwestern University completed significant renovations to this 1928 student residence hall, creating the first LEED Gold certified green student living space on its Evanston campus.

Schuler Shook’s lighting designers strategized and documented new lighting for this renovation, including lighting for the first floor lounges and corridors as well as the building’s dorm rooms and washrooms.

Eckstein Hall is a four-story, 200,000 SF contemporary building for modern law. Schuler Shook provided lighting design for the four-story central atrium, library reading room and mock court.

The central atrium required flexible lighting for multiple activities including studying, lectures, and recognition dinners. The space is highlighted with pendant clusters, providing visually comfortable ambient light on vertical and horizontal surfaces. Integrated downlights with glare shielding provide multiple light level options for the variety of activities in the space. Indirect uplight completes the space.

A linear sconce at the stair tower visually reinforces the strong vertical architectural form and helps illuminate the stair treads

The lighting design in the spacious third-floor library reading room provides users a visually comfortable experience through a combination of slender bookshelf task lighting, downlights and wall wash accents, and custom pendants that acknowledge the traditional chandelier of the former Law School. In addition, the pendants create a beacon for the school visible from surrounding neighbourhoods and freeways.

Schuler Shook provided lighting design and theatre planning services for the new 450-seat Tower Auditorium in this Global Communications Hub in Charlotte. The room is designed for video production and teleconferencing as well as live lecture and assembly.

Working closely with the architects at Perkins+Will, we created a seating layout and appropriate lighting of the onstage presenter and the audience that works well for those in the room and for those experiencing the room through the bank’s Knowledge Channel video broadcasts.

Alexander Calder’s steel stabile ​“Flamingo” was the first work of art commissioned under the General Service Administration’s Art in Architecture Program in 1974. The sculpture’s vermilion colour and 53-foot tall organic form serves as a counterfoil to the surrounding three prominent Mies Van der Rohe federal office buildings in Chicago’s Federal Plaza. In its initial installation, it was not lighted for viewing after dark.

The lighting of the ​“Flamingo” was implemented as part of a program to improve the plaza and increase security. The primary challenge was to illuminate as many surfaces and facets as possible using a reasonable quantity of fixtures. All lighting fixtures are buried in the plaza pavers and are identical: PAR38 adjustable uplights with positive locking mechanisms. Schuler Shook performed site testing to test and select the incident lighting angles, source colour, and fixture locations and quantities. All of the lighting emanates from the plaza, shining up on the sculpture, which reinforces the weightless nature of the sculpture and suggests that the sculpture floats above the plaza, barely touching the ground.

The initial renovation project won an IALD Award of Merit and an IES International Illumination Design Award. IALD judges remarked that, ​“The graceful and beautiful pattern of the form comes alive…”

The original design used 150 watt halogen PAR lamps with spot and flood distributions. In the second renovation of the plaza, Schuler Shook replaced the lights with more energy efficient ceramic metal halide.

Sam Houston State University is known for its strong theatre and music curricula. The school sought a new centre that would bring together music, dance and theatre while providing distinct performance areas attuned to the needs of each art form.

Through Schuler Shook’s programming and planning effort with the design team and performing arts departments, we helped create performance spaces specific to each art form. 

An extensive renovation of the Concourse B Rotunda provides an energetic and light filled environment for travelers.

The renovation focused on a Memphis Blues theme and is supported with dynamic lighting that emphasizes the architecture, way-finding and music elements. The atrium and concourses were enhanced with increased lighting levels integrated into the architectural design.

The Central Park Bandshell had its opening celebration and first performance on July 4, 2009. Schuler Shook provided the theatre planning services and design of the lighting and rigging systems. This new state-of-the-art bandshell replaced the existing bandshell in Red Wing’s historic Central Park.

The city’s vision was to transform this underutilized park into Red Wing’s ​“community living room.” Light fixtures and a simple lighting control system have been provided to meet the performance needs of local troupes. Infrastructure, including additional power, truss rigging points, and cable sleeves were designed to meet the needs of large touring groups.

Schuler Shook’s theatre planners were involved from the preliminary design of this 185-seat customized hall for the University of Oklahoma’s Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Designed for televised press conferences, distance learning and teleconferencing use, the room features automated lighting and a stage that raises and lowers. 

Working closely with Rees Associates, our consultants designed the theatrical stage dimming and controls systems, the flexible platform and the architectural lighting for the room.

The Hallie Ford Fine Arts Center at East Central University is a new cultural centre for theater, music, performing arts and Mass Communication for an eighteen county region of Oklahoma. The new 82,000 square foot Fine Arts Center was built to host the University’s art, music, theatre, speech and mass communication programs. The project was recently awarded an Outstanding Design in American School & University’s 2010 Interiors showcase.

Schuler Shook provided theatre planning, lighting and rigging systems design for the new 1,082 seat Fine Arts Center that included classrooms, studios, practice rooms, an art gallery and sculpture garden.

Victory Gardens Theater, Chicago’s Tony Award®-winning home for new plays, had outgrown its space in Lincoln Park. Victory Gardens turned to Schuler Shook to lead a programming effort, identifying their goals for an expanded theatre. We worked very closely with the Artistic Director and Managing Director at that time — Dennis Zacek and Marcelle McVay — to refine Victory Gardens’s goals for a new home.

When the nearby Biograph Theatre became available for purchase, Victory Gardens saw a unique opportunity in their own neighbourhood. They purchased the famed cinema and began an extensive adaptation, developing a new 299-seat theatre that offers their playwrights a larger, more capable stage.

Schuler Shook advised Victory Gardens on theatre and backstage planning, designed the stage rigging and lighting systems, and assisted during construction of the project. In addition, Robert Shook designed lighting for the opening production of Charles Smith’s Denmark.

The Humanities Center for York College of Pennsylvania project began as a study in 2001 and was green lighted in late 2005.

The study resulted in a new performing arts centre in a prominent location on the college campus, consisting of a 700-seat proscenium theatre and a 150-seat black box theatre, a scene shop, dressing rooms, and support spaces. The facility includes a full fly loft for the benefit of student and community productions, as well as educational lectures and special events.

Schuler Shook provided theatre planning and design services for the performance and supports spaces, an orchestra pit lift, and complete theatrical lighting and rigging systems. Schuler Shook also provided architectural lighting design for the lobby and the theatre.

In just one year, with construction occurring only between performance seasons, this 1926 opera house received a renovation and expansion that reached from its 3‑story lobby skylight down to the enlarged orchestra pit.

Schuler Shook’s theatre planners brought to this fast-paced project their years of technical experience working in many other U.S. opera houses. We worked to improve both the technical systems available to the performers and artists as well as to enhance the audience’s experience from the new seating. Our scope covered stage areas and auditorium areas, the orchestra pit, new stage lighting and rigging systems, an LED-based stage titling system, and improved sightlines within a newly configured seating arrangement that allows for almost 160 additional seats.

Lighting and architecture are integrated in a minimal, timeless aesthetic for this new high-rise building. The law firm’s Chicago headquarters occupies 27 floors (672,000 SF), and our designers created lighting solutions throughout for private attorney offices, open secretarial stations, the conference centre, reception areas, elevator lobbies and corridors.

This high concept restaurant in Beverly Hills focuses on the ​“show” of food preparation and a diverse menu of international flavors in a space that brings together contemporary architecture with existing brick and wood details. Lighting design for the 6,300 SF space includes the entrance, bar, dining areas and exterior façade lighting. 

Featured elements include artwork illuminated with a framing projector and an edge lit lighting detail behind the artwork. Illuminated red polymer staircase risers add an unexpected touch of interest. A 2‑story grazing detail at the mezzanine lights the original textured brick wall. Each of these lighting elements is designed to showcase the architectural features and eye-catching finishes.

Texas Southmost College Music Education Building and Recital Hall is the latest building addition for arts on campus. This performing arts centre is home to an 800-seat main performance space designed to support an orchestra of up to 150 pieces as well as opera and theatre. Three rehearsal halls with teaching studios, a dressing room, green room, ticket booths and a lobby with a sweeping river view complete this new centre.

Schuler Shook provided theatre planning, lighting, adjustable acoustic system, concert shell and rigging systems design for the new music education building, including the main performance hall, rehearsal halls, teaching studios, and dressing rooms.

A renovation provided a new contemporary look for the busy Marriott City Center. The lighting design was carefully crafted with the design team to create a warm and inviting destination.

Guests are welcomed to a new reception area that is sleek and sophisticated. The reception desk is illuminated using LED lighting while accent lights highlight local cultured stone columns and textured fabric walls. 

The bar area features a stunning alabaster bar that is softly back-lit, creating an energetic glow. The cultured stone accents, warm wood tones and high-end interiors are carried throughout the hotel and are emphasized with decorative pendants and accent lighting to provide a cohesive design. 

The Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma City wanted a new space that would allow them to explore new productions year round. The renovation of the historic Plaza Theatre movie house has provided just that — an intimate space for this regional theatre company’s productions of plays, musicals and new works. The new stage also serves as the ultimate classroom for the Lyric’s acting academy for children. 

Schuler Shook provided theatre consulting services for the 278-seat proscenium theatre, including the design of a tension wire grid, stage lighting system and auditorium house lighting. The theatre includes dressing rooms, three voice studios, office space, and an outdoor donor garden. 

The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra sought to enhance the sound and overall experience for their concerts held in the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (The DECC). 

Schuler Shook planned and specified a beautiful new state of the art acoustical enclosure, based upon the acoustical requirements of Kirkegaard Associates. In concert with SJA Architects, we designed the lighting control system and created new lighting positions in the cheek walls. We also added dimming capacity and specified new lighting equipment for the stage and apron.

Excelsior & Grand is a mixed-use development, with 5 story buildings consisting of residential units, retail space, restaurants, and plazas. The development is centreed along a 600 foot pedestrian-friendly, town green.

Schuler Shook developed a unique lighting approach to create a dynamic, yet unified interior and exterior lighting design for this multi-phased project. The exterior lighting design included landscape, building facades, balconies, entries, and sculptures.

Schuler Shook provided exterior lighting design services for the renovation and adaptive reuse of the Carbon and Carbide Building on Michigan Avenue. Now the home to Hard Rock Hotel, this Art Deco masterpiece originally opened in 1929 as an office building and was designated a Chicago Architectural Landmark in 1996.

The exterior is composed of black granite and dark green terra cotta, a challenge to illuminate. Our designers used on-site mockups to test fixtures against the dark cladding and worked to highlight the gold terra cotta and gold leaf trim. The 40-story building is now a 381-room hotel with restaurant, bar, conference and meeting rooms.

North Central College advanced the fine and performing arts on campus with a series of projects involving new construction and adaptive reuse. Opened in the fall of 2008, the 57,000 SF Wentz Concert Hall and Fine Arts Center is now a beacon for the arts on campus and in the greater community.

To further foster learning, practice and performance. North Central College included a flexible performance space in their plan as well. The College renovated the 95-year-old former Grace Evangelical Church for this purpose and helped preserve an important part of the College’s and the community’s history in the process.

Schuler Shook provided theatre consulting and architectural lighting design services for the new Fine Arts Center, including the 650-seat Wentz Concert Hall and the 150¬seat Madden Theatre. The studio theatre includes flexible seating and staging options, providing the perfect setting for theatre, dance and music performance. We worked closely with Talaske Sound Thinking, the acoustician, and Loebl Schlossman & Hackl, the architect, to create an appropriate concert hall for groups such as North Central College’s Concert Winds, Women’s Chorale and Concert Choir. Our lighting designs are seen in the concert hall, studio theatre, lobby and gathering spaces.

The Carlyle is a 39-floor residential tower on the Mississippi riverfront in the historic Mill District of Minneapolis. This new tower was designed with art-deco design themes reinterpreted using modern methods.

The lighting design considerations included the downtown location within a historic district, energy consumption and cost, and the building’s architecture. The lighting design draws the eye up the façade to the spires at the top of the building. 

The Midtown Exchange development transformed the former Sears building on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Schuler Shook provided the lighting design for the public lobbies, corridors, and building façade for this mixed-use residential, retail, and office development. 

Collaborative Design Group served as the project architect with Ryan Construction as the lead developer. Shea Architects provided interior design services.

T‑Rex is an interactive and immersive themed restaurant and retail attraction. Life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, mammoth and other creatures are found in specially themed spaces or ​“zones” such as the Geothermal Kitchen of Fire, the Shark Bar, Fern and Sequoia Forests, and the Children’s Archeological Dig Site. The lighting scheme provides drama and task illumination, complex show programming, and sustainable maintenance.

In the Geothermal zone, natural gas flames erupt from rock fissures. Enhanced impact is provided by flame-effect motion projectors illuminating themed elements. Geothermal activity continues with the fiery LED animation of translucent sculpted lava, juxtaposed behind a cool blue ​“ice melt” waterfall.

The Shark Bar’s giant octopus has animatronic tentacles and provides task lighting through end-emitting fiber optics mounted in its suction cups. LED’s animate the bar in subtle waves.

Other lighting elements include water ripple-effects and ocean tones, internally lit jellyfish providing table lighting, the ice cave’s translucent glowing walls, projected fir and pine cone images in the Sequoia Forest, luminous planets, and internally lit asteroid fixtures in the retail space.

McKendree University added to its campus a new facility for the arts – the Hettenhausen Performing Arts Center.

Schuler Shook’s theatre planners were involved early in the project to discuss with university leaders the precise needs that the new facility would fulfill. We worked closely with architects at Mackey Mitchell to design an appropriate new home for the arts while remaining sensitive to tight budgetary constraints. 

The beautiful 500-seat theatre anchors a 34,000 sf building. The facility includes a large band room, large rehearsal spaces, ensemble practice rooms and simple backstage accommodations. 

Hyatt unveiled an upmarket concept hotel branded as Hyatt Place. The focus is on the frequent traveler who requires an extended stay. In addition to spacious guestrooms, Hyatt has focused design efforts on the public areas called Hyatt Place Gallery. The Gallery blends contemporary décor with distinctive architecture, stylish furnishings and unexpected touches to create an atmosphere of casual hospitality.

Schuler Shook worked closely with Aria Group Architects to design the lighting and control systems for the Gallery, starting with a prototype for Hyatt and then designing the lighting for the Hyatt Place in Lombard.

This complete renovation of the old New Yorker Theatre is almost all new construction. Working closely with architects Martinez + Johnson, Schuler Shook designed new lighting and theatre systems for the 665-seat theatre and provided input on catwalk placement, sightlines, and the data and power cable distribution.