Projects

Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall was originally constructed in 1918 in a record 4 months and 4 days. Saved from the wrecking ball by a renovation in the 70’s, the DSO moved back downtown to Orchestra Hall in 1988. This most recent project commenced in 1997 and included completing the restoration of Orchestra hall and constructing 135,000 square feet of new space.

Schuler Shook provided full service theatre consulting. We provided programming, space planning guidance and equipment design services for the refurbishment, re-seating and equipping of the 2,064-seat Orchestra Hall, the Music Box – a variable-form second hall that seats up to 450 – the Jacob Bernard Pincus Music Education Center and the Robert A. and Maggie Allesee Rehearsal Hall. We also worked closely with the architect to provide much-needed public, backstage and administrative spaces.

Orchestra Hall now includes a refurbished orchestra shell and motorised rigging, a new forestage lift, a proscenium super-grid and new lighting system and mounting positions – all designed and specified by Schuler Shook. The Music Box includes a flexible lighting system for its multiple forms and uses, as well as extensive automated acoustical adjustment 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.

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.

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.

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.