University of Minnesota, Ted Mann Concert Hall
Minneapolis, MinnesotaOverlooking the Mississippi River, adjacent to the University's music classroom building, this 1,250 seat performance hall hosts orchestra, band, choir, opera, jazz, theater and dance performances.
HGA's sensitive siting of Ted Mann Concert Hall made the most of river views while contributing to the density and structure of the existing campus. The lobby overlooks the Mississippi River through an undulating glass curtain-wall that conforms to the river's shape.
As with all renowned performing arts facilities, acoustical flexibility and quality were established as the highest priorities for the new building.
The flexibility to turn the hall from an opera house to a concert hall is provided by:
The large forestage platform allows the majority of the orchestra to play downstage of the proscenium, in the same acoustical volume as the audience. The moveable towers can form an enclosure around the back of the orchestra and their location changed to accommodate a great range of performance group sizes, ranging from solo recitals to full orchestra with chorus.
Within the audience chamber the retractable sound absorbing curtains can be extended to reduce the level of reverberation. In addition to creating flexibility in the acoustics for artistic expression, the curtains are also used to compensate for the effect of an audience; this feature is helpful for rehearsals.