Completed in 1981, this flagship theatre of the Performing Arts Center is the largest in Austin, with seating for 2,800. The Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Concert Hall boasts a vast stage, an orchestra pit capable of holding 100 musicians, dressing rooms to accommodate more than 100 performers, computerized lighting, advanced sound and rigging systems, and a mammoth backstage area complete with workshops for carpentry, costumes, painting, metalwork and props. Ranking among the finest performance spaces in the country both in size and accoutrements, it is no wonder that Bass Concert Hall attracts the world’s greatest performers and full-scale productions.

BASS RENOVATION

In May 2007, the Performing Arts Center’s flagship venue, Bass Concert Hall began a $14.7 million dollar renovation and facelift. These upgrades and changes have reinvented this Austin treasure as a world-class venue, able to host the most demanding touring productions while offering visitors first-class accommodations.

The 27-year-old venue is getting a new look inside and out. Renovations to the 3,000-seat theatre include compliance with all current fire and safety codes; state-of-the-art acoustics; a magnificent glass-front façade and larger, light-filled lobby; an expanded five-story lobby and atrium, increased restroom capacity; more bars and concession areas; new flooring, sidewalls and décor; and a sixth-floor outside deck with impressive views overlooking the UT campus.

View pictures of the renovation.

‘GREEN’ INITIATIVES

In updating and renovating Bass Concert Hall, the Performing Arts Center decided to reuse and adapt our existing structure, instead of building an entirely new facility. We have done our best to include environmentally friendly materials and initiatives during the renovation process.

The front windows of Bass are made of fritted glass that deflects some of the incoming heat and reduces the need for extra energy use. This allowed us to increase the size of the Performing Arts Center without increasing the size of our cooling equipment. The new lobby curtain wall also provides enough daylight to reduce the amount of energy needed for artificial lighting by day. New florescent lights were installed to cut down on energy use after dark.

The countertops in the lobby and restrooms are made from recycled glass and the sheet flooring is linoleum, a renewable resource. Dual flush toilets are installed in all the new bathrooms, reducing our water use. The new wood paneling used in the building is from renewable forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.