A space with this much versatility required custom solutions, acoustical excellence and extensive services.

One of the most impressive and unique customizations Wenger Corporation brought to life on the project was a one-million-pound cassette system, 78-feet wide and 62-feet long.

The cassette sits on railroad tracks and moves by a pair of SERAPID rigid chain machines that push and pull the cassette slowly and safely into performance and storage positions. A custom J.R. Clancy hoist operates the tilting ceiling to allow the cassette to move from a proscenium position to downstage for concert and recital modes.

Wenger Corporation also installed two motorized, retractable towers on each side of the cassette, specially designed to fold down for storage with a custom air pallet system, yet they appear as though they’re a seamless part of the cassette shell.

The Center can configure seating along the perimeter of the shell for chorus or in the round performances.

The concert lighting system in the cassette ceiling has three rings that match the architecture of the theatre ceiling. The lighting fixtures fit into the rings, thanks to a custom, integrated solution created by the Wenger Corporation team. However, the ceiling also pivots, which required a robust bracketing and yoke system for the lights to accommodate movement from the cassette.

Theatre Projects opted for a combination of white and color-mixing LED fixtures, giving The Center the flexibility of bright lights that can dim or additional pops of color, depending on the performance.

The Center needed another custom solution for Steinmetz Hall: spectacular sound. In the end, it involved 70 motorized Wenger Transform® Acoustical Banners and custom roll up banners, controlled by a J.R. Clancy Motion Control System. The team also added sound blocks and floor-to-ceiling drapery to dampen sound, along with motorized controls to manage it all.

The cassette ceiling is also on a custom J.R. Clancy line shaft hoist with motors on either side. The entire ceiling pivots around one hinge point, and this hoist can safely lift and lower the three-ringed ceiling. To create even more flexibility, screw jacks can raise the telescoping portion of the two side towers and hold them in place, filling the space between the cassette and the auditorium.

Safety was key for Steinmetz Hall. When activated for movement, the cassette towers move two feet per minute on a compressed air system along the railroad tracks, and a warning system activates with alarm lights and sound whenever it is in motion.

In addition to the motorized rigging, Steinmetz Hall has a complete J.R. Clancy counterweight system consisting of 63 line sets and the space to add up to 30 more line sets in the future.