The Convention and Visitors Bureau officially shut down Robinson Center for renovations July 1, 2014. Since then:
• The interior of the concert hall was gutted and the stage was dropped approximately 36 feet. That makes it easier to access the stage from the new double loading dock, which in turn makes it much easier to load in and load out large touring shows. (A renovation in the '90s that included adding a hydraulic lift helped, but did not cure, the problem.) The first big touring show to take advantage: The Phantom of the Opera, March 8-19.
• Dropping the stage and shortening the total theater space also enabled acoustics that are supposedly state-of-the-art. The acoustics have long been among the prime arguments for either building a new music hall or rebuilding this one. Adding adjustable acoustic panels to the orchestra shell will make it possible to improve and adjust acoustics according to a concert's or show's performance needs.
• The hall will have about 400 fewer seats -- 2,214 vs. 2,609. Extending the stage over the orchestra pit, as will be necessary for some Arkansas Symphony concerts, will eliminate about 70 seats. Rigging and lighting instruments previously obstructed the view from some seats; bringing the back of the hall forward and closer to the stage will improve sightlines. There will be two tiers of balcony seating (no more mezzanine level); 14 boxes are under construction along the sides of the hall to create "a more intimate setting."
• Completely new electrical and mechanical systems and a series of catwalks will increase production capabilities. A mechanical lift in the orchestra pit will make it easier to move instruments and equipment.
• The expanded lobby will feature replicas of period chandeliers to make the hall look more the way it did when it was completed in 1939. There will be a permanent box office area that will be open weekdays, instead of just an hour or so before performances, and built-in concession and merchandise spaces.
• Backstage, there will be four private dressing rooms, three "chorus" dressing rooms and a "performers lounge" (aka "green room") at stage level, with an overflow dressing room one floor up. Dressing room space previously was in short supply and below the stage, requiring performers to climb up and down tight staircases to reach the stage.
• A new elevator and two new entrance vestibules will enable patrons to reach the lobby directly from the adjacent parking garage. New patron drop-off areas will be available on the east and west sides of the hall.
• The exterior limestone stairs on the Markham Street side have been rebuilt and waterproofed.
The renovations have left the building's original brick back walls intact; they now form the south wall of the conference center lobby. And a number of architectural features high on what had been the building exterior, not easily seen by passers-by, are now prominently visible, including geometrical designs and a couple of Aztec bas-relief faces, one entire, one damaged.
-- Eric E. Harrison
Style on 06/21/2016