With the summer concert season approaching and popular artists like Beyoncé, Metallica and Taylor Swift filling stadiums across the country, developers are turning to smaller types of entertainment venues: concert halls.
With state-of-the-art designs that allow for flexible configurations, these medium-sized auditoriums can accommodate 1,000 to 6,500 patrons, helping promoters define live entertainment including concerts, DJ sets, esports and raves. Helps spread out and assist launch. parties and exhibitions.
Due to the concert hall’s versatility, developers are using it to anchor projects and energize the surrounding area. The trend is revitalizing many moribund markets, said Aaron Jensen, head of commercial and mixed use at design firm HKS.
“Concert venues are part of a wider mix that’s conveniently located to transportation and residence,” he said.
Three miles north of downtown Denver, in a former industrial area known as the River North Arts District, the Mission Ballroom, a concert hall that acts like Billy Idol and The Roots and is adorned with psychedelic murals, and a giant disco ball floating above dancing. floor.
The auditorium has a movable stage and can accommodate up to 3,950 guests. North Wincoupa three-block complex of former warehouses redeveloped by Denver developer Westfield that now contains artist studios and shopping. Visit hot spots.
Chris Crawford, senior managing director at real estate investment firm Hines, which plans a six-story office building and an 11-story residential tower in North Wyncope, said: “The right place, the cultural spirit. It attracts people,” he said.
Mission Ballroom operator AEG Worldwide uses the Mission Ballroom as a blueprint for venues in the Atlanta, Boston, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham areas of North Carolina. And other concert halls are popping up in cities across the country.
For example, Anthem, which has a capacity of 2,500 to 6,000, is the centerpiece of Wharf, a waterfront revitalization project in Washington, DC, and YouTube Theater, a 6,000-seat venue that shares the roof with SoFi Stadium, home of the Rams. increase. The Chargers in Hollywood Park, Los Angeles. And in Anaheim, California, in September, the city council approved an entertainment district with his $4 billion 5,700-seat concert hall. ok vibe, This is due to start construction this year.
“In the U.S., we have more shows than ever in the top 10 markets like LA, New York and Chicago, but we’re seeing more growth overall in the next 40 cities. It shows just how much opportunity there is for venue development of scale.”
rear A bumpy recovery in 2022According to market research firm IBISWorld, revenue from U.S. events increased to $58 billion last year, at a time when many venues struggled with rapid inflation and labor shortages. to $65 billion by 2023.
“Artists make their money touring, not recording,” said University of South Carolina professor Amen Xiaomian.
Concert halls, which cost between $50 million and $150 million to build, fill a gap in the market between clubs, which can hold up to 1,000 patrons, and arenas, which can hold between 5,000 and 20,000 people, according to promoters. It is said that it is filling up.
It also offers many attractive features for performers, such as spaces with flexible seating for standing and dancing, said John Strik, design director at architectural acoustics and design firm WSDG. .
Some venues use curtains to camouflage empty spaces for smaller events. The technology allows for flat or slanted seating, or combinations that create levels. Other features include advanced projector technology, wall video, lighting and special effects.
Acoustic prediction software also allows acoustic engineers to know how sounds will behave. “Engineers often use the first song or opening act of a set to ‘tweak/tweak’ systems in performance venues,” he says Storyk. “Especially in large halls, the acoustics often change dramatically as the audience fills in.”
Each venue has its own personality. The Anthem, for example, is the centerpiece of commercial and residential development along Washington’s waterfront, including hotels, apartments, condos, restaurants, and even a fish market.
Music is “the emotional connection that brings people together,” says Monty Hoffman, founder and chairman of Hoffman & Associates, which led the development with Madison Market. “When it comes to housing, we haven’t hesitated to emphasize living spaces that are either beside or above the music.”
For example, an apartment complex with two 12-story towers wraps around a concert hall, while the Anthem Lobby roof skylight is at the bottom of the complex’s pool.
“We basically built a bubble buffer between the building’s internal structure, which contains Anthem’s energy, and the tranquility of the apartment above,” Hoffman said.
Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater not only caters to musical tastes, it also hosts esports competitions and a summer gaming fest.
“We have a variety of services that reflect our community,” said Jason Gannon, managing director of SoFi Stadium. Hollywood Parkonce a racetrack, now houses retail and office space and 12 movie theaters.
As part of the contractual agreement naming the theater, YouTube can live stream the event. The theater also features an interactive digital wall, showcasing YouTube creators and artists and interactive video screens throughout.
Larry Miller, director of the music business program at New York University Steinhardt, said esports venues will interact with steeper seating and technologically sophisticated fan-based devices to bring fans closer to the action. said they need broadband to
But “the flurry of pandemic-era predictions about the sustainability of livestreaming hasn’t paid off,” he said, adding, “2023 looks set to be the biggest year in tour history, with livestreaming becoming a rounding error for most acts.” I am,” he added.
Developers prefer new construction to older theaters that pose renovation challenges. Acoustics that worked perfectly in opera and musical theater may not work in today’s music, he said Storyk.
Ryan Knottson, president of Brown Note Productions in Thornton, Colorado, said the older building would not be able to run the air conditioning system, and the steel beams on the roof might not accommodate the heavy equipment, requiring an expanded loading dock. said it could become ballroom.
Advances in technology may make retrofitting older theaters a little easier, but experts say the costs could be higher.
Seth Hurwitz, chairman of IMP, the concert promoter that runs the anthem, said, “Older buildings are always a source of repair and maintenance, which can be quite costly. Even newer facilities have solutions. You need a prescribing sound engineer, for example, the national anthem required $3 million in soundproofing.
IBISWorld Research Analyst Michal Dalal says the latest technology and design features are important to musicians and fans.
“Companies that provide performers and audiences with the best facilities, such as strong acoustics, backstage facilities, private changing rooms, bars, toilets, and catering services, are likely to be preferred over promoters that provide substandard facilities. there is potential,” she said.
