June 9, 2025

$20M upgrade for Benaroya Hall

Renderings courtesy of Seattle Symphony [enlarge]

Benaroya Hall’s exterior will be ‘amplified’ with new LED marquees and lighting.

Seattle Symphony recently launched the public phase of a $20 million capital campaign to raise funds for an extensive upgrade of public spaces at Benaroya Hall.

Design renderings for those updated spaces were also unveiled, offering the community a first look at the project.

Called “Amplify,” the project aims to “enhance the experience” for people visiting the 200 University St. venue, and to transform the “downtown landmark into a premier, must-visit destination.”

The Symphony says updates are also poised to contribute to Seattle's downtown revitalization efforts.

[enlarge]

The Overlook Lounge will have floor-to-ceiling glass that looks over the ground level lobby and a new welcome desk.

UPGRADES AND AMENITIES

Spaces to be upgraded include entrances, lobbies, and portions of the building's exterior. The project will also add a host of new community amenity spaces including a cafe, a lounge and a community room. Wayfinding will be upgraded, seating will be improved throughout the building, and there will be new public art and programming.

A new concierge-style welcome desk will be added to the right of the main entrance to the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby and S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium.

The new cafe will be located in The Boeing Company Gallery, which is set for a major refresh. New seating will be added in areas along the gallery with a mix of wood and fabric, and new lighting will be used to create a new cafe ecosystem within the larger shell. Patrons will not need to attend an event to visit the cafe.

A new lounge, called the Overlook Lounge, will bridge the gap between the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby and the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall's Bill & Melinda Gates Lobby. An existing balcony will be expanded and enlarged to create the lounge, which will provide additional areas for engagement and socializing before and after an event. It will span 1,120 square feet and include a 135-square-foot bar plus a combination of seating, standing and counter areas. The lounge will be topped with a stepped wood architectural ‘cloud' roof.

The new Community Room will be located at the north end of the The Boeing Company Gallery and is being created via the repurposing of an existing ticketing area. The resulting multipurpose space will host gatherings, classes and cultural events. Free public programming will be hosted in the community room, which will also be a new area for the symphony to collaborate with nonprofit partners.

LED MARQUEES

Benaroya Hall's exterior will be ‘amplified' with new LED marquees, public artwork and lighting. Two high-definition LED marquees will replace existing non-functioning marquees on the building corners at Third Avenue and Union Street, and at Third Avenue and University Street to support high quality content visible at street level. Additional LED displays will replace poster boxes at each entry, directly below the new marquees. Enhanced lighting at entry canopies and simplified entry door options will provide a safer and clearer entry experience to The Boeing Company Gallery and main performance spaces. The current mid-block entry doors on Third will be turned into windows, leaving two main entrances at the north and south ends of the building.

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A cafe will be added to The Boeing Company Gallery space.

Mithun is the architect for Amplify and Sellen is the general contractor. The first stage of construction is set to take place this summer, with a second phase beginning in the spring of 2026.

Sellen plans to break ground on the first phase in July. Initial improvements will take place on the exterior, along Third Avenue, and will include the installation of the new marquees, digital signage, new primary entrance points and improved lighting. Benaroya Hall will remain open during this phase of construction.

In a press release, the Symphony said the overall design geometries of the upgrades are “inspired by the structure of music, with rhythm informing the rectilinear patterns of the entry portals, the Overlook Lounge, and the updated Boeing Company Gallery.” Melody inspired the creation of sinuous geometries in the ceilings, carpets, furnishings and lighting globes at the Overlook Lounge.

Nature is another design influence. Pacific Northwest inspired entry portals of wood will mark the entrance from the street, marking the entrances into the main lobbies as well as the entries into the auditoriums themselves.

Sustainable design strategies include the selection of low-emitting materials and healthier finishes, including almost an acre of new carpet.

AN ELEVATED EXPERIENCE

Maria K. Yang, acting CEO and chief development project officer for the Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall, had this to say in a press release: “As Seattle enters an exciting moment of revitalization, we are proud to do our part through Amplify — creating a destination and elevated experience that will bring more people to Benaroya Hall and spur energy and excitement in the core of downtown. Through this initiative, we are capturing the momentum of the city's revitalization through the waterfront expansion, the upcoming 2026 World Cup and the improvements we've already seen downtown. This is our opportunity to invest in our city and create a destination downtown for residents, workers, audiences and the entire community.”

To date, $15 million of the symphony's fundraising goal has already been raised. That was raised during the campaigns quiet phase which began in October 2023. Leading gifts came from the Friday Foundation, in honor of Jane Lang Davis, the Norcliffe Foundation, Leslie and Dale Chihuly, The Benaroya Family, Elias and Karyl Alvord, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Maryanne Tagney, Patricia Tall-Takacs and Gary Takacs, Linda Nordstrom, and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

The project team also includes Holmes, structural engineer; PAE, MEP engineering; Arup, acoustic and AV; Luma, lighting; Wishbone Industrial Arts, LLC, custom lighting; JLR, food service; and Seneca Group, project management.

Benaroya Hall opened in 1998. The venue, designed by LMN Architects, has received numerous design awards, including a 2001 American Institute of Architects National Honor Award for outstanding architecture.

Benaroya Hall has three performance venues: the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall and Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center.