Since the opening of the St. Louis Symphony’s Jack C. Taylor Music Center last month, the orchestra has garnered lots of well-deserved press, including an article by New York Times reporter Adam Nagourney titled, A Reborn Concert Hall Provides a Lift at an Uneasy Time. The uneasy time, according to Nagourney, is due to the devastation caused by the May 16th tornado, the uncertainty about the availability of FEMA funds, and President Trump’s threat to send in the National Guard to patrol our city’s streets.
At the September 19 ribbon cutting however, guests were there to celebrate not only the new Music Center, but a renovated Powell Hall as well as a 64,000 s.f. addition. The $140 million project was funded by the Music for All Campaign, which raised a total of $173 million, the largest campaign in the 146-year-old orchestra’s history.
During Mayor Cara Spencer’s welcoming remarks she said that “Jack C. Taylor lives on through the Crawford Taylor Foundation, without whom this renovation and expansion would not be possible.”
Standing alongside the Mayor is SLSO President and CEO Marie-Hélène Bernard, and Chair of SLSO’s Board of Trustees, Steve Finerty. Finerty said that the two-year construction was completed on time and on budget, which was met with loud applause.
An extra long red ribbon was stretched across the broad entry and multiple pairs of huge scissors were distributed to many of the people responsible for the successful campaign, design, and renovation.
The curves throughout the new entry hall evoke the shape of stringed instruments.
The focus of this post is on the local architects and designers who were essential to the success of this amazing and beautiful effort, and also in recognition of a super donor, CWEnder Emmy Rauh Pulitzer, whose name was mentioned several times in the “we couldn’t have done this without you” category.
CWEend-based architect Stacey Wehe is photographed with colleague Bob Johnson, the Senior Project Architect on the project. Until recently, Wehe and Johnson were associated with Christner Architects (she as a Managing Principal), until Christner merged with CannonDesign in September. “We both have new titles,” Wehe explained, “Bob is now a V.P. of Cannon and I’m a Principal.”
‘We started working on the symphony project back in 2019,” Wehe said. “While I was very involved on the front end of the project, Bob was incredibly valuable during CD (construction documents) and construction phase – the project wouldn’t be what it is today without him!”
Snøhetta Architectural Firm, based in Oslo and New York, designed the Jack C. Taylor Music Hall, Christner was Architect of Record, responsible for permits and overall construction of the project.
Kiku Obata is shown photographing one of the graphics her firm, Kiku Obata & Company, designed for the new building. Obata said they were responsible for the design of all exterior, interior, and wayfinding signage, as well as the donor program. Another example of her firm’s work is above the main entry to the music center.
A view of the massive new Education and Learning Center which, according to a press release, provides space for SLSO’s two resident choruses, its Youth Orchestra, and a growing portfolio of education and community programs.
A photo of the grand lobby at Powell Hall
Photographed above is the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra getting ready to perform in the newly renovated space for the first time in two years.
A view through the front windows onto Grand Avenue.
On the promenade there is a marker acknowledging the gift from the Pershing Charitable Trust in memory of Mary and Oliver Langenberg, who were longtime generous supporters of SLSO.
And finally, another quote from Mayor Cara Spencer: “This (Jack C. Taylor Music Hall) is an amazing gift, not only to the symphony, but to our local arts scene and our community at large. The symphony and its renovated home elevate St. Louis as an international arts and cultural destination.”
I hope you’ll have an opportunity to visit soon. Here is a link to the SLSO 2025-26 Season.
Thank you, Nikki! Harold and I were there this weekend for Chuck Berry’s Birthday Bash. I look forward to going back. The SLSO’s new Music Hall is indeed an amazing gift to our community.