RKA Designs new Orchestra Shell for the Ohio Theatre

CAPA commissioned Rogers Krajnak Architects to design the new orchestra shell for the Ohio Theatre.  “Our goal was to provide a shell that would deliver superior acoustics to both musicians and audiences while reflecting the stunning décor of the Ohio Theatre,” stated CAPA President and CEO Bill Conner. “The end result far exceeds our expectations in functionality, beauty, and acoustics, and was well worth the time and investment.”

The new shell is an interconnected system of movable ceiling panels with ribs and lightweight towers with shelves. Together with the forestage reflector (the eyebrow that extends beyond the proscenium arch), these components provide strategic reflections of sound back to the musicians on stage and into the audience in the hall.  The arrangement of the towers and two rows of horizontal acoustical shelves allow the shell to be tuned to best fit the number of musicians on stage and the works being performed.

Aesthetically, the shell was designed to be in harmony with the opulent interior of the Ohio Theatre.  After studying the elaborate three dimensional ornamentation of the 1928 Baroque-style Ohio Theatre, Rogers Krajnak Architects created the two dimensional decoration that was meticulously applied to the shell.  Much of the shell’s adornment was abstracted from the theatre’s wainscoting, cast plaster ornamentation and gilded coves.  The gold stars on the forestage reflector, ceiling panels and towers were abstracted from the ceiling of the theater to continue the visual grandeur onto the stage.