The Chicago Symphony Orchestra commissioned SOM to update the beloved Daniel Burnham-designed Chicago Symphony Hall with 21st century technology while burnishing its 1904 “jewel box” intimacy and warmth. The project involved increasing and improving public, backstage, and service spaces while reinventing the concert hall experience by improving sightlines and tuning the hall’s acoustics. The latter was accomplished by increasing the size of the stage area, adding acoustic volume, reshaping the Hall, and adding a system of tunable, off-stage reflectors.
The SOM program was quickly embraced by the CSO’s benefactors and the general public, and the estimated budget was raised with minimal difficulty. SOM was committed to stretching those funds as far as possible by making the most of the existing floorplan. Restoration of the landmark building involved strengthening the foundation, expanding facilities, and redesigning HVAC systems. New or expanded spaces include rehearsal halls, lobbies, meeting rooms and a public arcade that connects the Michigan Avenue Symphony Center entrance to the new rotunda. The arcade weaves the Symphony Center complex directly into the surrounding street fabric, providing downtown Chicago with a favorite gathering place.
As part of the overall Symphony Hall project, work was also done on the adjacent Chapin & Gore building, which was renovated to include a café, restaurant, music education center, and administrative offices for the Orchestral Association. Critical backstage space and rehearsal areas were augmented by a new eight-story Artistic Support Wing, while other facilities, including conductor and guest dressing rooms and equipment storage, were added below ground. The renovation earned several awards including Excellence in Engineering from ASHRAE and the Distinguished Building Award from the Chicago Chapter of the AIA.
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