Foundation For Jones Hall Completing Year Four Of Renovations For Iconic Performing Arts Facility As Part Of $60M Project

The Foundation for Jones Hall (FJH) is completing 2024 renovations for Jones Hall, part of a multi-year, $60 million project for transforming Houston's iconic performing arts center focused on significantly improving patron, musician and artist experiences. This renewal is designed to bring the building up to the highest standards in technology and operations, while incorporating modern amenities. To date $51,750,000 has been raised.

Jones Hall, which opened in downtown Houston in 1966 and is today managed by Houston First Corporation, is home to both the world-renowned Houston Symphony and Performing Arts Houston, which presents internationally acclaimed artists across the performing arts spectrum. Both organizations have unique performance needs that have evolved and grown in the last century, particularly for acoustics and amplification.

“The dream of a newly imagined Jones Hall is coming to fruition, as we wrap up year four of a five-year renovation plan, which will cement its reputation as one of the finest performing halls in the world,” says Chuck Davidson, Foundation for Jones Hall Building Committee Chair and lead donor, with wife Nancy Davidson, to the campaign. “The changes and upgrades to this historic hall  are truly transformative for performers and patrons. This is a beautiful gift to our community.”

In 2024, the Foundation for Jones Hall will finish the acoustic upgrades, which are of paramount importance in a multi-use performance hall. The installation of the new forestage reflector, the final acoustic piece, will be a game changer for both performers and audiences. The reflector is located above the downstage area, reinforcing sound from the violins, cellos, basses, and soloists during Houston Symphony performances. Acoustic reflectors provide clarity in large venues by evenly dispersing sound and controlling late reflections.

The lighting and sound networks throughout the Hall have been completely replaced and modernized, with additional work happening in 2024. This includes a new fiber optic backbone, consoles, fixtures and speakers.

“Our musicians have experienced a significant improvement in the acoustics on stage, and our audiences have been effusive in their praise of the transformation of the sound in the Hall,” says John Mangum, Houston Symphony Executive Director and CEO. “The reimagining of Jones Hall will have a lasting impact for the Symphony and provide a greatly improved experience for our audiences, one defined by a new-found immediacy, impact, and presence of orchestral sound that has to be heard to be believed.”

All of the stage automation has been replaced with modern control systems, finished in 2024. This includes orchestra pits, overhead line systems, and the orchestra shell ceilings. As with the lighting and sound networks, the new systems have been updated with digital technology. They are now all controlled by the same interface instead of everything being on separate control systems.

“Performing Arts Houston presents so many artists and artistic disciplines in Jones Hall, and the updates to lighting, acoustics, and the overall theater-going experience will ensure our visiting artists are able to realize their full artistic visions for Houston audiences,” says Meg Booth, Performing Arts Houston President & CEO. “We're grateful for all those involved with the renovation and are looking forward to raising the curtain on a new era of Jones Hall.”

One of the most visible improvements in the Hall is the expansion/enhancement of the Green Room for performers and donors. The new space is almost completed, with the final wall treatments installed. The new finishes include perforated wall paneling to preserve the style of the room but soften the acoustics to keep the space at a comfortable volume level. Designed by Ennead architects, the Green Room is meant to honor the mid-century modern style of the building.

The Jones Hall lobby has been completely redesigned and reconfigured to create more spaces and reduce “pinch points.” Finishing touches this year include new carpet and lobby lighting, which is a Houston First effort.

Finally, summer 2025 will see a full renovation of the Texas Avenue loading dock and entrance for ADA access, including a ramp for patrons with mobility limitations. Additionally, dressing rooms will be refurbished in 2025.

“Jones Hall has always been a Houston treasure, but this renovation project is taking it to the next level of the world's great performance halls,” says Barbara McCelvey, Executive Committee Member of the Houston Symphony Board of Trustees and FJH Board Chair. “The Houston Symphony is thrilled about the modernization, infrastructure and acoustic upgrades, along with the aesthetics. Feedback from musicians and performers has been overwhelmingly positive.”

“As the operator of Jones Hall, Houston First is proud to partner with the Foundation for Jones Hall in this important project to protect a landmark building and it's place in the local performing arts community,” says Michael Heckman, President and CEO of Houston First. “The scope of the multi-year project has been vast, and we are very pleased with the work completed so far to significantly elevate the technology, acoustics and infrastructure of Jones Hall.”

The beginning of the 2023–24 Season saw new seats in the auditorium, a new orchestra shell, and a sizeable increase to the number of bathroom facilities on the Hall's courtyard level. Access has been improved, with a new, wider staircase that goes directly from the Louisiana Street lobby to the courtyard men's and women's lounges.

With a lead gift provided by Nancy and Chuck Davidson, the campaign has also received strong support from a variety of sources, including Margaret Alkek Williams, The Brown Foundation, Janice H. Barrow, the Shirley and David Toomin family, The Wortham Foundation, ConocoPhillips, The Elkins Foundation, the Cullen Trust for Performing Arts, Houston Endowment, Janet F. Clark, the Cullen Foundation, and the City of Houston/Houston First Corporation, among others.

In October, the Foundation will invite the public to participate in the campaign by launching a “take a seat” campaign, enabling individuals to sponsor and dedicate the new seats in Jones Hall.

In making her gift to the Foundation for Jones Hall, Margaret Alkek Williams, a long-time supporter of the arts in Houston, notes that Jones Hall is a treasured icon of our city, and the performing arts in Houston are near and dear to her heart. “Attending hundreds of extraordinary performances over the years at Jones Hall by the Houston Symphony, Performing Arts Houston, and others, has brought me great joy. It is important to me to give back to our community. I'm excited to help ensure that generations to come will enjoy this Houston jewel as much as I have.”

In 2026, Jones Hall will be better than ever when it celebrates its 60th anniversary, a world-class venue for the Houston Symphony, Performing Arts Houston, the City of Houston and patrons to enjoy.

The design and consulting teams for Jones Hall include Ennead, Studio Red Architects, Apeiro Design (theater consultant), Threshold Acoustics, Walter P. Moore (structural engineers), Collaborative Engineering Group (MEP engineers), Bellows Construction, Forney Construction (project management) and the Building Committee of the FJH Board.

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