Festival Hall is the home for NDSU music major ensembles, a venue for theatre NDSU musical productions and also hosts concerts and performance appearances from visiting groups. Its 525 seat theatre is a showcase for the region’s diverse cultural arts and provides an opportunity to educate and celebrate the community.
The acoustically excellent Festival Concert Hall is the theatre of choice for many local performing artists and has become a major regional attraction. Its diverse programming spotlights a wide variety of musical, dance and theatre performances as well as lectures, recitals, fine art exhibits and students’ theatre projects for audiences of all ages.
Located on the banks of the Thames, festival hall is part of the Southbank Centre complex. The facility is filled with public foyer areas that offer free WiFi, seating and tables, making it a popular meeting place for social or work-related discussions. In addition to the 2,500 capacity auditorium, festival hall features The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Riverside Terrace Cafe, Central Bar and Skylon Restaurant.
A strip of glazing slices across the west elevation to frame a panoramic view of the surrounding meadows from a first floor gallery and offers a second route into the building. The new entrance sequence from the garden into the lobby was designed by Delugan Meissl Associated Architects and increases existing qualities of both natural and architectural environment. The sculptural incisions and folds in the distinctive facade suggest a tectonic stratification, with crevices and fault lines signalling the path into the foyer.
Following advice from acoustics consultants, Kirkegaard Associates, the low levels of reverberation in the Hall were corrected by changes to the fabric of the building. Surfaces that had absorbed sound were transformed to support it, whilst the undulating plaster ceiling panels were reconstructed using more robust materials for greater warmth and support of bass frequencies.
The hall’s acoustics have been dramatically improved, providing exceptional listening conditions for performers and audiences alike. The Hall is now renowned as one of the world’s finest classical music venues, where acoustic excellence is celebrated and supported by an exemplary level of technical facilities.
The theatre is also the home for a wide range of other events, including Algonquin College Speaker’s Series, variety shows and play presentations. During the past 12 years, it has brought more than 1000 theatre productions to the community, attracting visitors from far and wide. These visitors help to stimulate the economy and enrich quality of life for residents while fostering community partnerships that benefit generations to come.
Festival Hall has been transformed into a dynamic and vibrant performing arts center that celebrates the diverse culture of Greensboro and the surrounding area. The Hall is an iconic destination that has a national and international reputation as a world class performance venue, educating and entertaining the public and encouraging regional economic development and tourism. It has set a new standard for excellence in the arts and is an invaluable asset to the entire community.
