Wortham Theater Center

In 2017 it was damaged by Hurricane Harvey; it reopened in September 2018.^[2]

Significant Private Funding

A significant portion of the funding needed to build the center came from the estate of the late

• The Brown Theater, with 2,405 seats, is named for donors Alice and George Brown. It is used primarily for opera and large ballet productions by two resident companies: the Houston Ballet and the Houston Grand Opera.^[3]
• The
  Cullen Theater, with 1,100 seats, is named for donors Lillie and Roy Cullen. It is used for smaller productions and other events.^[3]

The glass entry archway, 88-feet (27-m) tall, was originally designed[5] to be the end of a glass atrium, but the atrium concept was considered incompatible with Houston's hot summer weather and the danger of hurricanes, so the atrium was omitted during construction. There had been a debate about how to re-design the entry section as a non-atrium structure, but the decision was to leave the connecting archway, as designed, and simply enclose it with glass. In the future, the archway could easily be extended, if an entry structure is added.

The

The grand staircase, which is actually a bank of escalators, is surrounded by a site-specific illuminated installation by renowned New York sculptor Albert Paley. To avoid extensive last-minute debates about approving the sculpture by the artwork committee, the illuminated structure was categorized as an issue of lighting/electrical design, not subject to the artwork committee's oversight.

A unique acoustic feature of the theater is its "frying pan" pods, accessible via walkways over the rear of the orchestra seating. This construction enables the music to flow between these pods and into sections of the opera hall that is traditionally not considered a good listening area.^[6]

2017 Hurricane Damage

The center was damaged by a flood caused by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017.^[7] While the structure was undamaged, the storm and its aftermath left 12 feet (3.7 m) of water, dirt, and debris in the lower levels of the center. Management determined that repairs to the facility would take until at least September 2018.^[8]

Water breached the backstage door and other locations, filling the entire basement with 12 feet of water which destroyed mechanical equipment, electrical gear, and other building systems located in the basement level. Water also filled the orchestra pits which were also in the basement. There was water damage to the stage flooring and other finishes on the ground level. A team including Turner Construction, HKA/ARUP, and Manhattan Construction led the restoration of the theater and rehearsal spaces to its original glory. Jaffe Holden Acoustics provided acoustic and audio/video systems design services in eight short months to ensure the curtain could open in time for the fall 2018 Opera season.^[9]

References