Dr. P Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center [Phase 2 Under Construction]

[orlandoguy]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange/os-tourist-development-arts-center-plan-20160930-story.html

[uncreativeusername]

2 hours ago, orlandoguy said:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange/os-tourist-development-arts-center-plan-20160930-story.html

Is this real? Am I dreaming? Oh Sentinel, don't let me down. 

[John Hargrove]

Fingers crossed. Honestly thought I'd never see the day. 

[JFW657]

They reported that on channel 9 last night, too.

Despite funding approval, Dr Phillips Center expansion remains on hold.

What I can't understand is why they're saying construction would take three years, assuming they're talking about if work started in January. The building is not that big.

 

 

[uncreativeusername]

30 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

They reported that on channel 9 last night, too.

Despite funding approval, Dr Phillips Center expansion remains on hold.

What I can't understand is why they're saying construction would take three years, assuming they're talking about if work started in January. The building is not that big.

 

 

I'm no expert and I'm not sure what the standard timeframe should be for such a building, but concert halls are complex to begin with (I'm blanking on the terminology, but an acoustically isolated hall is built as a building within a building), and we're (hypothetically/hopefully) getting a great one with a uniquely reconfigurable stage.

[JFW657]

True, but when you consider that they can put up a 30 story skyscraper in about 18 months, it just seems kind of odd. To me anyway. How long did phase 1 take? A year?

 

[uncreativeusername]

27 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

True, but when you consider that they can put up a 30 story skyscraper in about 18 months, it just seems kind of odd. To me anyway. How long did phase 1 take? A year?

Sure, but skyscrapers can go up relatively quickly because successive floors are a copy/paste job.  

Phase 1 groundbreaking was June 2011, and opening was Nov. 2014...so, same time-frame.  Out of curiosity, I did a little research...Disney Concert Hall (LA) was built between 1999-2003...Arsht Center took from 2001-2006.  So this seems like a completely normal/average time frame.  

[Boomer136]

20 hours ago, JFW657 said:

True, but when you consider that they can put up a 30 story skyscraper in about 18 months, it just seems kind of odd. To me anyway. How long did phase 1 take? A year?

 

The shell goes up comparatively quickly. But just in a standard theater all the show infrastructure (sound, lighting, fly system) means pulling over a million miles of cable. Then certification and testing of all systems and sub systems takes a long time and while from many respects in what one would think is a building ready to open.

That's why the call to bulldoze or repurpose the shell of the Carr seems such a waste. Especially as purpose built theaters take so much time and money.

With the Steinmetz you are also looking at more systems on top of what was done at the Disney with the adjustable acoustics, the upstage concert wall on rails and the flexible seating area levels. Far more complex than "just" a theater like the Disney, miles away from even a high tech church.

[RedStar25]

23 hours ago, Boomer136 said:

The shell goes up comparatively quickly. But just in a standard theater all the show infrastructure (sound, lighting, fly system) means pulling over a million miles of cable. Then certification and testing of all systems and sub systems takes a long time and while from many respects in what one would think is a building ready to open.

That's why the call to bulldoze or repurpose the shell of the Carr seems such a waste. Especially as purpose built theaters take so much time and money.

With the Steinmetz you are also looking at more systems on top of what was done at the Disney with the adjustable acoustics, the upstage concert wall on rails and the flexible seating area levels. Far more complex than "just" a theater like the Disney, miles away from even a high tech church.

This is very true. They had been billing the acoustic hall as "one of a kind" modular hall. Add on top of that the hall might include a new world class pipe organ and you're really looking some serious engineering (pipe organs don't move easily!) 

[jrs2]

^^

it's funny b/c the Sears Tower went from beginning going vertical to topped off in just over two years.  it doesn't mean it was built out in two years, though; that took four.

[HankStrong]

Many years ago, there was this restaurant in Cincinnati called The Music Palace where you ate buffet food while someone played this massive pipe organ.  My grandparents thought this was one of the most amazing places on the planet.  They used to take us there semi-regularly.  It is truly amazing how big that pipe organ was.

I can only imagine if this is a world class one, this must be insanely large.

[RedStar25]

7 hours ago, HankStrong said:

Many years ago, there was this restaurant in Cincinnati called The Music Palace where you ate buffet food while someone played this massive pipe organ.  My grandparents thought this was one of the most amazing places on the planet.  They used to take us there semi-regularly.  It is truly amazing how big that pipe organ was.

I can only imagine if this is a world class one, this must be insanely large.

Quality over quantity. 

I think the restaurant you are referring to has an old Wurlitzer in it. It would be a fun place to visit. 

Downtown has several large quality instruments already: First Methodist and Saint Luke's being considered two of the best in the region. 

[HankStrong]

Yeah, but I'm not going to someone's church to listen to pipe organ music.

Just FYI, I found this info online:

Music Palace's Wurlitzer first played at the Mastbaum Theater in Philadelphia in 1929, providing music and sound effects for silent films. The organ was brought to the Springdale Music Palace in 1982, but a fire in 1992 closed the restaurant and destroyed the organ console.

Barbara and Terry Marty reopened the Music Palace in a new building in Sharonville in 1998 with a modern console.

Another interesting nugget:

Joe Hollmann, president of the local chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society (www.atos.org), explains that the Music Palace's organ is really turned inside out. The Wurlitzer's original pipes, marimbas, drums, horns and xylophones that surround the dining room would normally be hidden.

[RedStar25]

On 10/2/2016 at 1:52 PM, Boomer136 said:

25 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

Yeah, but I'm not going to someone's church to listen to pipe organ music.

That's a rather odd reason. Are you afraid the pillars might collapse at the sight of a heathen such as you.  

On a side note: Theater Organs are wildly different from Concert Organs. Theater organs are lots of fun and are for more light hearted fair. Concert Hall instruments are also fun/versatile and can also deliver that unrelenting earth shaking wall of sound and then vanish into nothing. 

Edited October 5, 2016 by RedStar25
spelling

[alex]

Saw this on the Mayor's Facebook page today:

Over the last two years, we've seen the arts come alive at our Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, but the vision that City of Orlando - Your City Government and Orange County, Florida approved back in 2007 isn't complete.

Today's Orange County Board of County Commissioners vote means we can move forward with construction of the final theater, Steinmetz Hall, which will allow our local performing arts groups, like the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Orlando Ballet to have a new permanent home.

We're fortunate that we have a strong tourism industry here in Orlando that we're able to leverage to help the Dr. Phillips Center continue to grow and further our arts and entertainment options.

[JFW657]

They got the $45 million.

Construction will begin next year.

Yay!!!

[John Hargrove]

That is GREAT news. I had deeply feared this would be one of those projects that just can't seem to get done. Rock on.

 

[nite owℓ]

Yes, this is great news. Kudos to our city and county mayors for working together to get this accomplished. But there's always a catch... according to the OS; Dr. Phillips Center president and CEO Kathy Ramsberger said the arts center must raise about $10 million before it breaks ground, hopefully in January.

[John Hargrove]

Ugh.

[JFW657]

$10 million...

Seems like some multi millionaire could loan the city that much.

[RedStar25]

Beyond Excited! 

FYI, If anyone can pony up the money for a large concert pipe organ, permission was given by DPAC to have one custom built. 

The cost would come with naming rights. Much like most of the new civic organs in the USA.

First Methodist Orlando is currently the default venue for large scale Orchestra and Organ Works.

Organ Symphony   

 

[Universe_Explorer]

18 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

Yes, this is great news. Kudos to our city and county mayors for working together to get this accomplished. But there's always a catch... according to the OS; Dr. Phillips Center president and CEO Kathy Ramsberger said the arts center must raise about $10 million before it breaks ground, hopefully in January.

I a big supporter of the Arts Center and *really* want to see it completed, but I can't help but to be suspicious of Ramsberger always crying poor at this point.  Every time the city/county have come up with innovative ways to get them TDT money, she says "thanks, but we need more".  Last time it almost cost us the whole project, before Jacobs put the screws to her.  Lo and behold, they started building.  I feel like this most recent ask is another attempt to extort a bit more out of donors, and it feels stale...anyway, everyone around the project seems quite convinced it's going to get built now, and that's all that really matters

[nite owℓ]

30 minutes ago, Universe_Explorer said:

I a big supporter of the Arts Center and *really* want to see it completed, but I can't help but to be suspicious of Ramsberger always crying poor at this point.  Every time the city/county have come up with innovative ways to get them TDT money, she says "thanks, but we need more".  Last time it almost cost us the whole project, before Jacobs put the screws to her.  Lo and behold, they started building.  I feel like this most recent ask is another attempt to extort a bit more out of donors, and it feels stale...anyway, everyone around the project seems quite convinced it's going to get built now, and that's all that really matters

 

I'm sure *part* of the reason is due to rising construction costs. Everyone involved has stated prolonged delays in completing phase II will lead to significant increases (a $20 million increase was announced in Jan 2015). They also had to have the drawings for phase II brought up to code. Tens of millions of dollars is not pocket change, but I'm glad there is finally a light at the end of this tunnel.

On a separate note, is anyone else not impressed with the cantilevered roof? I thought it looked nice in the original watercolor renderings, but the final product is just not attractive IMO. It's so cheap looking. I wish they would have scrapped that feature.

[John Hargrove]

2 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

On a separate note, is anyone else not impressed with the cantilevered roof? I thought it looked nice in the original watercolor renderings, but the final product is just not attractive IMO. It's so cheap looking. I wish they would have scrapped that feature.

I'm with you. Glad we have it, but it looks like an airport terminal more than it does an arts center.

[tc01]

Yeah it would have been nice to see the other renderings submitted in for the design process for the arts center. The roof seems to be out of place to me, but I'm just glad to see phase II get started.