Project Index

The renovation of the Empire Theatre completed the repositioning of this two venue facility in the heart of downtown San Antonio. The Empire is a proscenium theatre which is used for dance, music, lecture and small drama performances. Schuler Shook provided complete theatre planning services to bring this 900-seat facility back to life. The Empire Theatre has a custom flexible seating system on the orchestra level which allows for three different configurations: Traditional Theatre Seating, Cabaret Seating and ​“pops” Seating.

The Empire’s adjacent atmospheric proscenium venue, The Majestic Theatre, had previously received a new stage house and rigging system, designed by Schuler Shook. The Majestic Theatre is used for popular music, orchestra and Broadway touring Companies. The two theatres are jointly operated and scheduled, affording flexibility and maximizing income.

As part of the renovation of the Allerton Building, the Art Institute of Chicago commissioned lighting designs for Fullerton Hall and the Prints and Drawings Study Room. The hall’s main feature is a leaded stained glass dome that was originally installed by Louis Comfort Tiffany Studios in 1898. 

The dome exhibits a variation of glorious, warm colours that are cleverly lit by Schuler Shook’s design. Its dense and colourful characteristics provide the elegant room with an enchanting visual element, but posed a challenge for designers in delivering the adequate illumination levels for the auditorium. Additional sconces were provided to supplement the light emitted by the dome’s stained glass. 

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.

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.

The Majestic Theatre, an atmospheric proscenium venue, is adjacent to San Antonio’s Empire Theatre. 

The theatre’s programming includes popular music, orchestra, and Broadway Touring Companies. 

Schuler Shook designed the stage house extension and new rigging system. 

The Empire and Majestic theatres are jointly operated and scheduled, affording flexibility and maximizing income.

The Orpheum Theatre was purchased by the city of Minneapolis to invigorate the theatre district. This 2,600-seat theatre is used for a wide range of programs, including large touring productions such as The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon.

Working with the architects and city planners, Schuler Shook’s principal designer Michael DiBlasi guided the expansion of the stage house, development of backstage support rooms, and specification of new stage lighting and rigging systems. The rear wall of the stage house was removed, the stage was made deeper and a loading dock and dressing rooms were added.

The facility has been heavily utilized since its renovation. The Orpheum Theatre’s reputation for technical accommodation afforded it selection as the rehearsal and preview house for The Lion King prior to its Broadway premier.

The Paramount Theater renovation and expansion restored the theatre from a dilapidated facility to a thriving performing arts centre. The 1,000-seat venue is producing and presenting a wide variety of arts, education, and entertainment events with the goal of reaching diverse audiences.

Schuler Shook was involved in the original pre-design of the facility, the shaping of the theatre and support spaces, and the design and specifications of the technical equipment systems.

The Martin Theatre opened as the Murray Theatre in the 1920’s and presented a wide range of plays and music. In the 1990’s, the Ravinia Festival re-planned the building as a dedicated recital hall.

Working with architects Skidmore Owings & Merrill and acousticians Kirkegaard Associates, Schuler Shook developed a new stage enclosure to support acoustic music performances. This new recital ​“shell” projects sound to the 900 audience members, greatly enhancing the sound and intimacy of the room.

The building also received extensive auditorium restoration. Schuler Shook designed new lighting treatments to enhance the painted ceiling and to increase audience comfort.

DeVos Hall, the premiere performance space in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is home to the local Ballet, Opera, and Broadway Theatre Guild. Renovation work for the 2,500-seat hall was completed in 90 days in the summer of 2004. Schuler Shook worked closely with Progressive A/E to design new lighting for the perimeter of the house, and patrons seated in the side balconies.

A new control system integrates existing stage and house lighting controls with colour-changing controls. 15+ presets can be recalled or changed via a wallstation, laptop, and/or console. The new house lighting is integrated with the architecture, makes the space feel larger, better connects patrons to one another and the stage, and enlivens the space through colour.