Utah State University, Daryl Chase Fine Arts Center

Auerbach Pollock Friedlander provided theatre and audio video consulting services for the Daryl Chase Fine Arts Center renovation and expansion project at Utah State University.  The building is named after Daryl Chase, the tenth president of USU.

The core of the project is the renovation of the Kent Concert Hall, now known as the Newel & Jean Daines Concert Hall.  The original space is reimagined reducing the seat count by 425 to 1,743, but vastly improving the audience experience.  The space’s multipurpose proscenium form was not serving the university’s primary program of music.  In close collaboration with the design team, Auerbach Pollock Friedlander suggested the demolition of the proscenium wall and ceiling to create one room.  The result is a performance platform surrounded by the audience chamber.  Seating was skillfully designed for ADA-accessibility, comfort, intimacy, optimal sightlines and ideal acoustics.  New side-seating galleries continue upstage forming a choir loft seating area.  New performance lighting, tension grid, rigging points, and catwalks were designed to provide safe and flexible infrastructure for creative application of production lighting, rigging, audio and projection.  A fixed orchestra enclosure was constructed and the backstage space was redesigned to support the specific performance and technical needs of orchestral and choir concerts.

Auerbach Pollock Friedlander’s team worked closely with the university to identify production audio, video and communications systems that would best support musical and event programming in the concert hall.  The installation provides sound reinforcement for voice and instruments, when appropriate, as well as audio and video capture, playback, and editing capabilities.  New production support equipment includes wired and wireless communication systems, audio-video monitoring, and digital signage.  Flexible systems infrastructure has been added to interface with a wide variety of portable technology.  This professional-quality audio-video design gives students the ability to develop their craft, as well as offering a diverse set of tools for university events and guest performers.

Architect:  Sparano + Mooney Architecture
Acoustics:  Newsom Brown Acoustics
Cost:  $26,000,000
Completion:  2017