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Since its first concert in 1895, music greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Luciano Pavarotti, Patti Smith and conductor Frederick Archer have played in Pittsburgh’s historic The long-established Carnegie Hall takes the stage.
The concert hall announced last week that it would reopen after an eight-month refurbishment that addressed accessibility issues and retained much of the venue’s gilded decoration. The newly reopened space is believed to be the most significant renovation of the hall since its founding 129 years ago, bringing it into the new century while retaining its cultural heritage. The renovation is a collaboration between the Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh contractor Volpatt Constructions, with Gensler and CJL Engineering, respectively, on the architectural design and engineering.
“If Carnegie Hall was a gift to the Pittsburgh community nearly 130 years ago, our goal in renovating it is to increase the value of that gift by making it a space accessible to all, while preserving its The splendor of the original design,” President Steven Knapp, CEO of the Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh, said in a statement.
To improve the venue’s accessibility, the main floor was re-tilted and the theater was equipped with 1,530 ADA-compliant seats. Additionally, more technical improvements involved upgrades to the electrical and sound systems—every light was rewired. For the first time in the facility’s history, Carnegie Hall is now air-conditioned and can host performances during the summer.
The cultural space also underwent extensive restoration to preserve the artistic beauty of Carnegie Hall, bringing together expertise from across the Carnegie Museum campus. Under the guidance of Carnegie Museum of Art conservators, the painters matched antique and modern paints to repaint the 1,179 fleur-de-lis templates. Use cotton swabs and vinegar to clean the 33 decorative panels on the venue’s orchestra level. Eleven gold leaf panels were cleaned, re-plastered and repainted, and 40 doors were sanded and refinished. Forty-three menorahs were restored along the back wall of the first balcony with the help of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s paleontology prep staff.
The renovation project received financial support from the state of Pennsylvania, the Charles M. Morris Charitable Trust, the Scott Electric Foundation and the Allegheny Regional Asset District, as well as other private donations. Take a seat! The event also supports the project by allowing people to donate to have their chosen name placed on a custom-designed seat.
“We look forward to welcoming the community back to this iconic hall,” Knapp added, “a revered part of Pittsburgh’s cultural history.”
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