Akustiks provided the acoustical and audio/video design of the reconstruction of the 1960s-era Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina. The facility includes a mix of new construction and renovation, for example, in the 1,800 seat Martha and John M. Rivers Performance Hall, the team retained and updated the stage house while designing a totally new acoustically flexible concert theater. Complementing the Performance Hall are a gracious public lobby, dedicated foyers for the auditorium and a banquet/exhibition hall with capacity for over 800 people in a seated dinner. The facility serves as the primary venue for the annual Spoleto Festival USA, as well as the home of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Charleston Concert Association. The hall opened to accolades with a Gala Concert featuring Yo-Yo Ma and the Charleston Symphony.
Project Location: Charleston, SC
Client Name: Gaillard Performance Hall Foundation
Project Name: Gaillard Center
Architect: David M. Schwarz Architects / ESa
Theatre Consultant: Fisher Dachs Associates
Project Year: 2015
Project Size: 70,000+ sq ft
Project Cost: US $142,000,000
Gaillard concert hall, blessed by Yo-Yo Ma, proves its acoustical mettle”,
– Adam Parker, The Post and Courier, October 17, 2015
Awards
- Institute of Classical Architecture & Art – Southeast Chapter, Philip Trammell Shutze Award, 2017
- City of Charleston Design Excellence Award, 2015
Gallery
Photos © by Steve Hall, Heidrich Blessing