St. Louis has faced immense hardships this year. A devastating tornado swept through the city last spring, leaving 5,000 buildings in ruins and causing an estimated $1.8 billion in damage. Many residents are still awaiting vital federal disaster funds, an assistance the White House has been hesitant to provide. Compounding these struggles, President Trump has even threatened to deploy the National Guard to patrol the city’s streets.
Against this backdrop of adversity, the reopening of Powell Hall last Friday emerged as a profound moment of celebration. This graceful, century-old home of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has undergone a monumental $140 million renovation and expansion. City leaders highlighted how the weekend’s ceremonies powerfully reaffirmed music’s ability to heal and inspire, bolstering St. Louis’s enduring reputation as a vibrant arts hub in the Midwest and underscoring the orchestra’s pivotal role in the city’s cultural fabric.
“It’s been a very, very rough year,” acknowledged Mayor Cara Spencer, who assumed office in April. She enthusiastically declared Powell Hall’s reopening “absolutely a bright spot,” predicting it would significantly “broaden the footprint and the reach of the symphony within our city.”
Just hours before the grand unveiling, the air inside was still buzzing with activity. Workers, donned in hard hats and orange vests, raced to finalize the intricate details of the 64,000-square-foot, three-story addition that now gracefully envelops the original 1925 structure. Remarkably, the iconic Powell Hall facade on North Grand Boulevard remains preserved, a nod to its timeless heritage.
Despite the excitement, opening morning wasn’t entirely without a few minor hiccups. The scent of fresh paint subtly perfumed the air as guests flowed into the new entry, an architectural marvel crafted to evoke the graceful curves of a violin’s interior. A humorous moment arose when a door backstage stubbornly refused to open for a procession of horn players, who had just delivered a trio of powerful orchestral fanfares: for the Common Man, for the Uncommon Woman, and for Universal Hope – a newly commissioned piece.
Yet, these small imperfections were quickly overshadowed. The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause as Marie-Hélène Bernard, the symphony’s chief executive, took the stage. Hailing from Montreal, Bernard greeted the crowd with a warm, “Bonjour! Welcome home. We have made it.”
The morning’s symphony program was a truly special event, featuring two pieces specially commissioned for the occasion: James Lee III’s “Universal Hope” fanfare, which resonated alongside classic works by Aaron Copland and Joan Tower, and “House of Tomorrow” by St. Louis native Kevin Puts, featuring the remarkable mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and a magnificent chorus. The grand performance culminated with Richard Strauss’s powerful “Ein Heldenleben.”
Originally opening in 1925 as an opulent movie palace and vaudeville theater, Powell Hall screened films until 1968, when it became the home of the St. Louis Symphony. However, the space was never an ideal match for orchestral performances. As Stéphane Denève, the symphony’s music director and conductor of the inaugural concert, candidly remarked, “This was not a hall made for an orchestra. It was a movie theater.”
During intermissions in the past, concertgoers faced an inconvenient dilemma: queue for the restrooms or for a flute of champagne, as there was rarely enough time for both. Adding to the less-than-luxurious experience, the donor lounge, despite its exclusive intent, was merely a windowless room tucked away in the basement.
The conditions were even more challenging for the musicians. The original hall lacked any proper backstage facilities, meaning no dedicated lockers or changing rooms. Male musicians resorted to changing in public restrooms, while women had to arrive dressed, simply tossing their purses into a shared locker. Crucially, there were no dedicated spaces for warming up or practice; the brass section, for instance, famously had to commandeer a boiler room in the basement to prepare.
All those past inconveniences vanished on Friday morning. Donors now enjoyed a spacious, airy lounge on the third floor, boasting a stunning distant view of the iconic Gateway Arch. Patrons found ample restrooms and bars conveniently located throughout the new spaces. For the musicians, the addition included dedicated suites of soundproofed practice rooms, a long-awaited luxury.
The entire complex, now christened the Jack C. Taylor Music Center, spans an impressive 125,000 square feet, seamlessly integrating the historic Powell Hall with its new extension. This expanded center now houses a dedicated music education facility, provides ample space for two choruses and the youth orchestra, and even includes a state-of-the-art studio for St. Louis Public Radio to broadcast live Saturday night performances.
Within the main concert hall, the alterations are intentionally subtle, carefully preserving the cherished essence of a building that proudly holds a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Despite its many challenges, people deeply loved the original building,” stated Craig Dykers, a founding partner of Snohetta, the acclaimed architectural firm (based in Oslo and New York) responsible for both the renovation and the expansion design. He added, “The symphony itself cherished it. We prioritized preserving what was already beloved, ensuring the building’s distinctive and flamboyant character remained fully intact.”
The lobby, a spectacular showcase of opulence, continues to dazzle with its wedding-cake chandeliers and a vibrant display of gold trim against ivory, maintaining its original inspiration drawn from the grandeur of the Palace of Versailles.
Inside the auditorium, the seating capacity has been thoughtfully reduced from 2,653 to 2,150, offering concertgoers enhanced comfort with more legroom and seats that are an inch wider and deeper. Bernard, who has passionately guided this decade-long renovation from its inception, quipped, “We are fatter and I’m told that we are taller.”
Powell Hall has consistently garnered acclaim for its exceptional acoustics, particularly for its warmth and clarity. For Stéphane Denève, the paramount concern during the renovation was safeguarding this distinctive sound, which he reverently described as “the soul of the hall.”
“That was, for me, the main challenge,” he reiterated, “how to preserve the quality of the acoustics and possibly improve it.”
While acoustic assessments typically require months, if not years, post-renovation for a true judgment, Denève confidently declared the project a success on the eve of the opening. “Actually I was hoping for even improving it,” he stated, “and I think that’s the case.”
Reaching this triumphant completion was far from straightforward. The initial goal was a January 2025 opening, but this timeline was extended due to persistent material shortages stemming from the pandemic, as explained by Bernard. For two years, while construction was underway, the orchestra embarked on a city-wide odyssey, performing in various halls and auditoriums — a journey reminiscent of the New York Philharmonic’s own nomadic period awaiting David Geffen Hall’s reopening.
Impressively, the ambitious $140 million project was completed precisely on budget. Funding came from a diverse array of sources, including generous private donors, foundations, and significant grants from the state. Furthermore, the city’s hotel tax revenue contributes a portion to local arts organizations, including the symphony, aiding such vital cultural initiatives.
The project’s successful completion stands in stark contrast to the city’s considerable distress over the preceding six months. Mayor Spencer recalled spending much of her initial tenure grappling with the urgent needs of tornado victims, specifically where they would find shelter as winter approached, and navigating interactions with the Trump White House.
“These are very, very tumultuous times,” she reflected, acknowledging the unsettling atmosphere. “They are scary times, especially for cities like St. Louis.”
Yet, as concertgoers arrived Friday morning, enjoying the complimentary coffee and doughnuts that are a cherished tradition of Powell Hall’s morning performances, and experiencing the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s magnificent new home, an unmistakable atmosphere of celebration filled the air.
“Transformative,” remarked Anna Forder, a retired circuit judge, encapsulating the collective sentiment. “Everybody is really excited.”
For long-time patrons who recalled the previous state of the hall, this new era was particularly gratifying.
“It was kind of tired,” observed Bill Behan, a lumber company executive, adding with a smile, “And now it’s just spectacular.”