Orchestra Hall (Minneapolis)
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Located at Nicollet Mall and 12th Street in Minneapolis, Orchestra Hall is home to the Minnesota Orchestra. The Hall was built in 1974 (along with the adjacent Peavey Plaza) and opened for the 1974 concert season. It is a major landmark of the southern portion of the Nicollet Mall and home to many events throughout the year in addition to the Orchestra's home base.
The auditorium seats approximately 2,500, seating 1,500 on the main floor. The remaining 1,000 seats are placed in three tiers above the main floor, and along the side of the hall. The auditorium is actually a second building separated (for acoustical reasons) by a one inch gap from the "shell" which contains the lobby and offices. The stage is unusual due to the large cube motif in the rear wall, which continues along the ceiling of the hall all the way to the back of the hall. The cubes were added for acoustic reasons (with great success), but turned out to be quite visually striking as well. The great acoustical design has been attempted to be duplicated in many other concert halls.
The lobby area was upgraded in the late 90s and includes several bars. Expansive windows overlook the street.
Originally noted for its Modernist design, chosen to represent an orchestra for everyone, not what was then perceived to be the formal "elitist" designs of the past. The exterior of the building is recognizable by its large, blue ventilation ducts. Their unusual size was chosen to reduce air velocity and hence noise.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Orchestra Hall from the Minnesota Orchestra's website
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