PHOTOS: First look inside new Music Hall coming to United Center campus
CHICAGO - A first look inside Chicago’s new Music Hall shows a flexible, three-level venue designed to bring artists and audiences closer together.
Chicago’s new Music Hall
The 1901 Project and United Center unveiled new interior and exterior renderings of the planned Music Hall, which is under construction near the United Center.
The venue is expected to open in 2028 as part of the first phase of The 1901 Project. It will accommodate up to 6,000 guests and was designed specifically for live music.
Renderings show sweeping sightlines, dramatic lighting, expansive bars and spaces intended to keep guests connected to the performance. The room will be able to change configurations while maintaining an intimate feel.
Organizers say the venue will feature high-quality acoustics, flexible production capabilities and artist amenities designed around the needs of touring performers.
Big picture view:
The Music Hall is one piece of The 1901 Project, a planned $7 billion transformation of more than 55 acres around the United Center.
The mixed-use development is expected to include public spaces, parks, housing, restaurants, retail, hospitality, offices and transportation improvements.
The Music Hall will be located near a planned 180-key hotel, dining and retail, with the goal of creating an experience that begins before a concert and continues after the performance.
What they're saying:
"My great-grandfather, Arthur, put Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald on a stage at the Chicago Stadium in 1959, just two blocks from United Center. Led Zeppelin played four nights on that same block in 1977. The musical history of this address is not incidental to what we're building - it's the reason we believe a room like this belongs here, and nowhere else," Chicago Blackhawks Chairman and CEO Danny Wirtz said in a statement.
Chicago Bulls President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf added, "Music has an extraordinary ability to bring people together. This venue gives us another way to connect the United Center campus with the West Side, with Chicago and with the millions of people from all parts of the world who come to Chicago to experience something together."
What's next:
Programming is expected to include rising artists, established performers, special events and multi-night residencies across a range of genres.
Matt Rucins, the Music Hall’s director of content and programming, is working with artists, agents, managers and promoters ahead of the planned 2028 opening.
The Source: The information in this story came from The 1901 Project and the United Center.