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Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts opens

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Rebecca Maloney Rebecca Maloney Americas Press Office ,Boston
2 December 2014

Arup applied their global experience in performing arts center design to create a world-class arts and entertainment destination in Orlando.

The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida celebrated its grand opening on November 6. The 330,000ft2 multi-venue performing arts center, for which Arup provided structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering as well as acoustics and audiovisual design, was a collaborative effort. Arup and Artec (now part of Arup) worked closely with Barton Myers Associates, and executive architects HKS Architects, Inc. and Baker Barrios Architects, to design and detail the multipurpose facilities.

The performing arts center houses two main theatres, the 2,700-seat Walt Disney Theater for Broadway tours and other amplified shows, and the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, a 300-seat multipurpose theatre for smaller performances. Additional spaces include an outdoor performance plaza, a large banquet room, lobby tiers, and a donors’ lounge. Backstage spaces include a rehearsal room, dressing rooms, educational spaces, classrooms, and offices.

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The technical expertise of Arup’s design and engineering team in the fine art of performance center design was outstanding. Every consideration, from aesthetics, to vibration control, to acoustics, to sustainability and efficient building performance was explored, and the Dr. Phillips Center is destined to be a community and cultural icon because of it. ” Katherine Ramsberger CEO and president of the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts

Our broad scope included setting the basic shape of each theatre, accommodating footfall and crowd vibration, designing quiet air conditioning systems, and setting the foam density of the theatre chairs to control their acoustic properties. Arup also provided the engineering design for the dramatic cantilevered roof, which extends 85ft across Magnolia Avenue and serves as both a canopy to shelter guests, as well as a welcoming arm to entice the community to come inside. 

Arup’s structural engineering team relied on cutting-edge structural analyses tools, including crowd vibration modelling and dynamic analysis, as well as wind aeroelastic simulation to optimise the structural design and create a quiet and vibration free environment. Building information modelling (BIM) was also used from the early conceptual design through construction documentation to fully integrate all structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and provide seamless integration between the many offices, disciplines, and team members collaborating on the project. Throughout design and construction, sustainable design measures were taken to achieve LEED Silver certification.

 
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Arup’s integrated and multidisciplinary consulting group has a long legacy of designing performing arts spaces where achieving a specifically defined range of acoustical criteria is essential to the success of the project. The Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts is a jewel in our crown of performing arts projects. As one of the first major projects to open in the United States following the merger with Artec, we are grateful for the opportunity to showcase Arup’s world-class acoustic design capabilities and provide a transformational building for the arts in Orlando. ” McKinlay Bruce Bruce McKinlay Americas Hotels and Leisure Business Leader