SAN DIEGO, CA — Martha A. Gilmer, CEO of the San Diego Symphony, announces a major project to restore and renovate its historic home, the Jacobs Music Center, as a long-term commitment to the vitality of downtown San Diego. The project, with an estimated cost of $125 million, will honor the history of the Jacobs Music Center’s historic building, which opened in 1929 as Fox Theater, while enhancing the musical and performance experience for artists and audiences alike.

The revitalization of Jacobs Music Center, designed by architect HGA in collaboration with acoustician Akustiks, and theater planners Schuler Shook, will include the transformation of Copley Symphony Hall at Jacobs Music Center, including the reconfiguration of the stage; the addition of a choral terrace behind the orchestra; new finishes and seating; lighting, sound, and video equipment; and acoustics for both performers and audiences. The project will also include the modernization and expansion of support spaces for musicians and the enhancement of audience amenities throughout Jacobs Music Center.

Key elements of the renovation include:

• Elevating the acoustics for the musicians and the audience on par with peer concert halls through a custom-designed permanent orchestra enclosure, new orchestra risers tailored to the new stage, and a tunable acoustic canopy that is a collaboration of theatrical, acoustic, and architectural design
• Expanding the flexibility of the stage, including the addition of a raised permanent choral terrace around the stage. This addition will allow the symphony to perform a greater variety of large works with chorus throughout the season and will also provide audiences with unique seating opportunities when not being used by the chorus.
• Enhancing the audience experience with new seats, improved ADA access, better sightlines, reconfigured seats with additional aisles, and a completely reshaped main seating level. This seating design will allow the hall to be configured in new and flexible ways, supporting a greater range and scale of varying musical works and ensemble sizes.
• Adding acoustical “tuning chambers” and “variable acoustic” devices throughout the hall, allowing for the venue to be adjustable to accommodate music ranging from small chamber ensembles to full orchestra with soloists and chorus to amplified performances.
• Upgrading the concert-going experience with enhanced stage lighting, an improved sound system, and an integrated video display system.
• Replacing and relocating the current HVAC system with technology that creates three key benefits: increased the amount of air and filtration and fresh air within the hall, decreased the amount of ambient noise from mechanical systems within the performance space, and reconfiguration opened up vital performance support spaces. These updates were completed as part of the initial phase of the renovation.
• Establishing new, dedicated ancillary spaces, enabling the symphony to provide music for more students and families in Learning and Community Engagement programs.
• Providing the musicians with new, small ensemble rehearsal rooms, an expanded music library, dressing rooms, visiting artist spaces, an artist reception room, and climate-controlled instrument storage.
• Adding a new, safe, and accessible artists’ and staff entrance on 8th Avenue.

Construction work for the principal phase of renovation begins in early 2022.