SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 15, 1997)--S. Leonard Auerbach, ASTC, President of the Theater Consulting firm of Auerbach + Associates, San Francisco and New York, announced today that Phase Four of the Philadelphia Academy of Music's historic renovation has been completed. Improvements include the design and construction of a new stage floor, removal of the raked stage, modernization of the orchestra pit, installation of a new theatrical lighting system and new spotlight positions and refurbishment of the seating in the main level of the auditorium, vastly improving sightlines.

Orchestra pit modernization includes installation of an orchestra pit lift, and a piano lift. The orchestra pit can be set at four levels: basement for seating storage, pit for opera, ballet and theater performances, parquet level for additional seating, and stage level for a forestage apron. A utility lift on stage was installed to move scenery, instruments, and orchestra risers from various storage levels to the new flat floor stage, according to Len Auerbach.

Called the "Academy of Music Project for the Twenty-First Century," the $31 million Academy renovation, now in its fourth year, is expected to be finished in 1999. The current phase of the work was completed during a fifteen week period in the summer when the house was dark. The Academy of Music reopened this fall for The Philadelphia Orchestra's 1997-98 season. The Academy is also home to the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Ballet, as well as touring shows. The renovation was prompted by a windstorm in 1989 which led to the discovery of serious deterioration within the roof's original wood trusses. They have since been replaced with steel trusses.

Next summer, Auerbach + Associates will have further designs implemented, including the replacement of the theatrical rigging systems. The rigging system is currently an out-of-date combination of hemp rope lines and sandbags.

Other improvements to be made next year include the addition of a new steel column structure within and over the existing stage and roof. The roof over the stage will be removed so that the height of the stagehouse can be increased and a new steel grid iron will be installed to replace the existing wooden grid. The new steel gridiron structure will enable the stagehouse to support the increased loading capacity requirements of modern theatrical productions. A new orchestra enclosure will be installed during the summer of 1999, Len Auerbach said.

Built in 1857, the 140-year-old Academy is considered to be a historical and architectural gem, and the project has been lauded for its engineering ingenuity in modernizing the facility without compromising the building's historical integrity. The Philadelphia Academy of Music is the oldest known continuously run opera house in America and the country's only authentic 19th-century opera house.

"The design team for the Academy's 21st Century project has been able to work successfully within the confines of the historical parameters of the building to provide a contemporary venue that accommodates the concerns of the Philadelphia Orchestra as well as the opera and the ballet companies," Len Auerbach said. "The public areas maintain as much of the original character as possible, and any changes that were necessary, such as the front row and ceiling cove lighting positions, have been subtly integrated into the existing architecture."

George Shaeffer, the project director for the Philadelphia Orchestra, said that most of the work to date, with the exception of the 850 new seats, will be invisible to the audience. "Nothing we did mars or changes the historical character of the building," he said. "There are brand new theater systems hiding in areas that people can't see.

"This is a multifaceted project to improve the Academy structurally, acoustically, mechanically, architecturally, and theatrically. The design team has worked very closely with the users of the building to improve the hall for the next century, and I'm personally thrilled to be part of that."

In addition to Auerbach + Associates, the theater consultant, other
members of the design team include The Vitteta Group, Philadelphia, Architect; Keast & Hood, Philadelphia, Structural Engineer; L. F. Driscoll Co., Bala Cynwyd, PA, Construction Manager; Kirkegaard & Associates, Downers Grove, IL, Acoustics; and Altieri Sebor Wieber, Norwalk, CT, Mechanical Consultants.

Auerbach + Associates recently completed the theatrical and architectural lighting renovation of the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House and is currently working on the renovation of the Trenton War Memorial building as well as the Santa Fe Opera.