The Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation has chosen three teams to lead the acoustics, theatrical and cost consulting for the renovation of Municipal Auditorium into the premiere arts venue for San Antonio. Akustiks, an acoustical consulting firm, was chosen to lead the acoustical design of the facility. Fisher Dachs Associates, Inc. will lead the theatre planning and design for the new center, and professional cost consultancy firm, Venue, will oversee cost control activity on the project.
"Sound, theatre design and cost management are critical elements of the renovation and redesign process," said Rodney J. Smith, CFE, Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation Managing Director. "The acoustical and theatrical configuration of the new facility must accommodate a variety of arts organizations, all while staying within budget."
Akustiks has been responsible for some of the most successful acoustic design projects of recent years, including the recently opened new home of the Nashville Symphony - the Schermerhorn Symphony Center; the restoration of the Eastman Theater in Rochester and the new Mixon Hall at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Akustiks brings a multi-disciplinary approach to projects, utilizing the expertise of musicians, acousticians, architects and engineers who have worked on concert halls, drama theaters, opera houses, dance theaters, Broadway theaters, music schools, amphitheaters and museums.
Paul Scarbrough, the Akustiks principal who will direct the acoustic design of the Bexar County Performing Arts Center said, "We could not be more excited to be part of the team for the Bexar County Performing Arts Center and to have this opportunity to contribute to the rich cultural life of San Antonio."
Fisher Dachs Associates, Inc. Theatre Planning and Design (FDA) is a 45-year old firm that consults on every aspect of theatre planning and design for a wide variety of performance venues. In recent years, the firm has helped to plan and design many award winning spaces in Texas, including Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth; the Long Center, Austin, and several university projects in the state. FDA was also the theatre consultant for the renovation of Radio City Music Hall, New York City; the new Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis; and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville, among hundreds of others.
FDA was founded by eight-time Tony-award-winning lighting designer Jules Fisher and is under the leadership of Joshua Dachs, who will serve as Principal in Charge of the Bexar County project for FDA, assisted by Project Manager Adam Huggard.
"We've had the pleasure of working with Rodney Smith, LMN, Akustiks, Venue, and The Projects Group on other occasions", said Joshua Dachs, FDA's principal. "Having recently worked on the renovation study for the Municipal Auditorium, Adam Huggard and I are familiar with both the goals of the study, and the talented and dedicated team that we will be working with to make this project happen. We could not be more delighted to be part of it."
Venue is a professional cost consultancy firm primarily specializing in estimating and cost control of performing and visual arts facilities, with current or past projects in 23 states and 32 cities. Venue Principals Sean Ryan and Steve Ryan have extensive experience with large and complex renovation and new building projects in Texas.
"Colleagues in the arts world say our greatest asset lies in our ability to accurately predict the construction cost from the earliest available master plan or program and then keep the project on budget throughout the design and construction phases, particularly for such a complex and wonderful project as the Bexar County Performing Arts Center," Ryan said.
"As with every decision in this process, the Foundation has looked at companies who bring world-class leadership and expertise to bear on the project," said J. Bruce Bugg, Jr. Chairman and President of the Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation. "Akustics, FDA and Venue each bring a high level of expertise, great diversity and innovative ideas."
The Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization that is undertaking the renovation of the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium to build a world-class performing arts center for the citizens of South Texas. It currently owns the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium and the old San Antonio Fire Headquarters building to serve as the heart for San Antonio's cultural arts organizations. Upon completion of the renovations of the Municipal Auditorium, the Foundation will continue to own and operate the Municipal Auditorium and Fire Headquarters Building as the newly transformed Performing Arts Center.
On May 10, 2008, the voters of Bexar County approved the extension of the Venue Tax that will provide $100 million in funding for the Bexar County Performing Arts Center. With this public mandate, the Foundation will seek to raise an additional $32 million in private funding to renovate the historic auditorium and adjacent fire headquarters building.
The new performing arts center will celebrate the unique character of an historic property while offering state-of-the-art acoustical interior design. With access to the San Antonio River, the Bexar County Performing Arts Center will be a gateway to cultural arts for residents and visitors alike.
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