Steinmetz Hall, the multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art acoustic venue at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, has been honored among some mighty fine company.
The downtown Orlando arts center’s newest venue is part of Architectural Digest’s list of “The 11 Most Beautiful Theaters in the World.” The feature, by associate digital features editor Katherine McLaughlin, was published July 11.
As notable as the inclusion of Steinmetz Hall, which opened in January 2022, are the iconic venues which it stands alongside. Among them: Australia’s Sydney Opera House, the Palacio del Bellas Artes in Mexico City and the Opéra Garnier in Paris.
Designed by architect Barton Myers, Steinmetz Hall was one of three U.S. venues to make the list. The others, both on the West Coast, were the century-old Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara and Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
“These stunning buildings prove it’s not just the performances hosted within that can be considered art,” proclaims the Architectural Digest article, stating the halls were selected “for their unique designs, creative innovations and stunning appearances.”
While Architectural Digest saluted other theaters for their beautiful exteriors, Steinmetz Hall apparently made the list because of its warm and striking interior, as well as its fancy features.
Built for roughly $240 million as part of the $613 million arts center, Steinmetz Hall was designed to have an N1 background-noise rating — the lowest level at which humans can detect sound. It’s a technical marvel in other ways: Using a length of railroad tracks, the hall can be transformed from an in-the-round venue to a more traditional forward-facing one. Another mechanism flattens the floor and hides the raked theater seating so the space can be used for banquets or dancing.
But among all the technological wizardry, the aesthetics of the space were not neglected. Myers, who designed the entire arts center, used light cherry wood throughout the hall for acoustical purposes and classic visual appeal. The ceiling also has striking features, including large concentric white and bronze lighting fixtures.
“From Day 1, there were always great ambitions for this,” Myers said in a 2017 interview before adding, “I believe that this is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
At the hall’s grand opening celebration, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer semi-jokingly said global attention was due.
“I’m gonna declare this is the best performing arts center in the world,” he said before adding with a smile: “And I’ll fight with anybody that wants to disprove that notion.”
The recognition isn’t the only 2023 honor for the arts center, which was recently given the Venue Excellence Award for management and operation by the International Association of Venue Managers.
Tuesday evening, Dr. Phillips Center president and CEO Kathy Ramsberger said Architectural Digest’s endorsement was particularly gratifying — and a long time in the making.
“To be recognized among these world-renowned theaters was a goal of ours starting in 2003,” she wrote in an email. “The perseverance and commitment by our board of directors, colleagues and design team to create Steinmetz Hall was an incredible achievement, and we’re thrilled to be acknowledged by such an authority in the design field,”
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