Get to know the Jack C. Taylor Music Center

From enhanced acoustics to improved accessibility, the ambitious Jack C. Taylor Music Center seamlessly integrates a major expansion with the renovation of the historic Powell Hall, making music more accessible to all. Take a quick tour through the project’s standout achievements—and their impact. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra invites audiences to experience all the new features and enhancements at one (or more!) of the many upcoming concerts.

Architects Craig Dykers and Takeshi Tornier of the internationally acclaimed design firm Snøhetta say that architecture tells a story. Among the many inspirations that informed the design are the shape of musical instruments and the Missouri River. These undulating forms echo in the lines of the main lobby space, where Dykers hopes visitors feel an abstract sense of river landscapes.

One of Snøhetta’s main storylines when designing the Jack C. Taylor Music Center was the sense of openness and oneness with the community that the soaring spaces and windows provide. On a concert day, anyone passing the building can feel an inviting energy and excitement emanating from inside the music center. This will foster new relationships and welcome in more of the community.

Improving the accessibility of Powell Hall and making it more welcoming to all was a strategic cornerstone of the building’s transformation. Gina Hilberry—an inclusive design-oriented principal at St. Louis-based Cohen Hilberry Architects— collaborated with the project’s architects on finding solutions to accessibility challenges. From additional entrances to the softer slope of the auditorium, the improved accessibility is now embedded in the way that the building, both new and old, functions from entrance to exit.

Finally, one of the most important aspects of the renovation and expansion: the acoustics. “The cohesion of sound in Powell Hall is remarkable and impressed me from the first time I conducted the orchestra,” says Music Director Stéphane Denève. “It … builds a nice, deep harmony and gives a feeling of comfort.” That feeling has earned Powell Hall a reputation as one of the finest concert venues nationally.

To preserve—and even improve—those acoustic qualities, the SLSO hired Kirkegaard, a design and consulting firm that specializes in architectural acoustics. Kirkegaard tested the space and interviewed musicians, resulting in even better acoustics that guests on the main floor will enjoy. Niehaus Building Services also installed custom-made plaster acoustic panels that help disperse sound throughout the orchestra level.

Denève says the project has not just maintained, but enhanced, the quality and clarity of the acoustics inside Powell Hall—no matter where you are sitting. A whisper from the stage, Denève says, is now audible from a seat in the back row of the upper balcony.

From the dazzling chandeliers to subtle fleur-de-lis features, Powell Hall stands out for its ornate details. To preserve these adornments, Niehaus Building Services, a St. Louis-based firm that provides a variety of construction services, created a seamless blend between existing and new plaster details. Guests will recognize all those beloved ornamentations, plus new details created over the past two years that match the historical design.

The Steward Family Education and Learning Center, located near the new Neidorff Family Box Office, is a creative laboratory for all SLSO ensembles as well as an essential anchor for community engagement. The nearly 4,000-square-foot space supports a range of SLSO community and education programs, serving as a rehearsal space for the SLSO’s two resident choruses and the Youth Orchestra, and a hub for musical expression and collaboration. The Education and Learning Center, like many other spaces within the Jack C. Taylor Music Center, can also be rented for special events, from performances to corporate gatherings.

“Music is crucial to our sense of well-being,” says Sheila Hicks, one of the world’s foremost textile artists, who was commissioned to create an artwork to provide an inspiring, engaging welcome to all who enter the music center. “The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra offers the experience of a peaceful sanctuary.”

Hicks’ colorful artwork, Gliding Toward Utopia, now graces one of the walls of the Berges Family Foundation Grand Lobby. The artwork integrates fabric previously used in Powell Hall along with pure natural pigment in various fibers, connecting the past to the future.

Compiled by Iain Shaw.