“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.”
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