By month’s end, a 22-member selection committee, including city officials, community leaders and 10 Colorado Symphony Orchestra trustees, will have chosen the architectural team for the $90 million overhaul of Boettcher Concert Hall, the CSO’s home field.
That the renovation is needed is undeniable. With its inferior acoustics, physical limitations and substandard backstage spaces, Boettcher is hardly the impression Denver wants to leave on its tourists and visiting performers. The design, however, is still up for debate. And while the public may be asking the CSO to add more “pops” to its schedule, when it comes to architecture the steering committee would be well-suited to choose the classics.
Denver has spent the past 20 years creating a vibrant arts community and the infrastructure to support it. Nearly $200 million in new arts facilities have been built since the Ellie Caulkins Opera House was completed in 2005. The investment in our future has paid off — convention traffic continues to increase at record levels, including many arts- oriented conventions and events.
This proves that our city officials, voters and cultural leaders have made good investment decisions in our cultural institutions. Boettcher presents them with another opportunity. But while the attention-grabbing contemporary design of the Frederic C. Hamilton building has brought attention to the Denver Art Museum, and the functional modernity of the Convention Center has given convention traffic a shot in the arm, these are not necessarily role models for a new design of Boettcher. Because a symphony hall is more than just a building. It is “the instrument of the orchestra.”
The elements of classical design — from the rectangular shaped hall to the logic and variety of the forms and, finally, to the intricate decoration — all add to acoustical quality of the sound. The hall is an extension of the musicians’ instruments, making use of science and art to enhance sound because of proportional design incorporating acoustics and materials that build on the music. Modern design, on the other hand, nullifies the sound of skilled musicians playing in harmony.
These same elements add to the overall experience of the patron. Even before entering such a building, its beauty inspires the imagination. Inside, the human-scale decoration allows the observer to become the participant, enhancing their experience and the experience of the performing musicians.
Of course, continuing an old tradition does not mean ignoring what has been learned in our time. Great classical concert halls of today, such as Schermerhorn in Nashville, Disney Hall in Los Angeles, Elbe Philarmonic in Hamburg, Germany, and the Paris Philharmonie project are combining the science of acoustics with classical design standards — resulting in buildings that create a symphony of form and sound.
Neither does hearkening back to the great concert halls of Europe mean abandoning modern efficiencies. A modern hall made from glass and steel is projected to be two to 10 times more costly per seat than a classical hall built with limestone because of material costs and energy loss.
Finally, a classically designed concert hall makes sense for Denver’s current architectural legacy. A hall designed in the classical style would act as a bookend to the newly remodeled Ellie Caulkins Opera House and allow Denver to return to its classical heritage envisioned by Robert Speer, who is responsible for the classically designed buildings of Civic Center.
So as Denver leaders ponder the next big investment into the city’s cultural future, we encourage a look to the classical designs of the past.
Eric Mandil is the founding principal of Denver-based Mandil Inc., an architectural and interior design firm.
