South Dakota State University
Performing Arts Centre
Brookings, South Dakota


Seat Count: 1,000 (Concert Hall), 500
(Theatre)
Project type: New Construction
Architects: Sasaki Associates, Watertown,
MA - Koch Hazard Baltzer, Sioux Falls, SD
AD Scope: Acoustics and Audio

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The South Dakota State University Performing Arts Center design features three performance spaces: a 1,000-seat concert hall, 500-seat proscenium theatre and a 250-seat theatre/worship space. The facility also includes all of the support spaces for the music and theatre departments such as rehearsal spaces, teaching studios and classrooms.

The project is designed to be built in phases. The 1,000-seat concert hall is part of the first phase. The greatest design challenge AD faced with the concert hall was to provide a venue with the flexibility to serve as both a small concert hall for recitals and small choruses as well as large and powerful ensembles. The design had to be simple and low cost to meet the project’s construction budget.

AD developed a unique design based on a simple rectangular box structure which provides more volume than a typical 1,000-seat hall. Inside the rectangular building is another rectangular box that houses the stage and seating area. Because the concert hall is essentially two buildings in one, the acoustics and volume of the hall can be adjusted according to the requirements of its performances. A series of doors couples the volume of the outside box to the volume of the hall. For recitals and chamber music performance, the doors are closed to acoustically scale down the hall. The operable doors at the top of the hall, plus retractable curtains, provide for tremendous flexibility in the room’s responsiveness and reverberation characteristics.

The balcony seats wrap around the performance platform similar to many of the traditional concert halls of the late 19th century. These additional seats can also be used for large choruses.

The platform design includes a retractable seating riser which is used for choruses or additional audience seating.