The Northrop Auditorium is a place which evokes strong emotion. Since the 1920s the sheer size of University of Minnesota performing space has left visitors in awe, even before they were exposed to the talents of the Minnesota Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, a myriad of dance troupes that included Merce Cunningham. the Northrup also has hosted world-class speakers, among them presidents. Its huge, barn-like size, 4,600 seats and infamous acoustics also have left some horrified. When conductor Eugene Ormandy was asked what he would suggest to improve the sound he reportedly replied, “dynamite.”
But that’s changing now. In April the Northrop will re-open after a $100-million renovation leaves it with a new, trimmed, toned and ultra-flexible style.
Most obvious to a visitor is the dramatic redesign of the hall’s interior. The architects took the huge upper balcony and cut it short, replacing it with three smaller balconies which wrap around the sidewalls. There will now be just 2,700 seats, but they will provide much better sight-lines.
On a recent tour, Jim Moore an associate vice-president at HGA Architects, talked about the important “100-foot rule.” People more than 100 feet from the stage cannot make out performer’s facial expressions, which can be very important particularly during dance. In the old hall, Moore said, 80 percent of the audience sat more than 100 feet from the stage. Under the new design, 80 percent will be within 100 feet.
The renovation takes the huge building which opened in the late 1920s and moves it well into the 21st Century. The original design by Clarence Johnson suffered as a result of the financial realities of the Great Depression, and several basic things were left out, such as a loading dock at the rear of the theater, and a backstage crossover to allow performers to move from one side of the stage to the other without being seen. For decades, artists leaving one side of the stage and needing to return on the other had to head downstairs through the basement.
The renovation fixes both of those problems and adds a great deal more. There is a recital room now where the back of the balcony used to reach. Designed for film, music or lectures, the room seats 168 and features an active digital acoustic system which allows stage hands to adapt the sound of the space to optimize it for whatever function it has at any particular time. There is a warm-up room adjacent to the stage, and a number of seminar rooms for the teaching work which will take place during the day. There also are a number of social spaces, complete with coffee and snack bars designed to welcome students during the day, and audiences during the evening. Several classrooms and seminar rooms have been added as has a Founders Room on the top floor. It’s designed for receptions complete with catering facilities.
The project leaders also worked hard to blend the old with the new, taking the columns, terrazzo tiles, and bronze fittings of Memorial Hall at the front of the building as inspiration for forms and finishes through the rest of the building.
The Northrop is still very much a construction site, but the gallery below gives a clear idea of what things will look like when the grand opening occurs in the spring.
Gallery
The columns on the front of Northrop Auditorium still present a commanding presence at one end of the Mall on the U of M campus. However inside, it is getting a huge renovation. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)View full galleryGary Summerville and Jim Moore led the tour of the Northrop. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)While work is well advanced, with the April opening approaching, hard hats are required for all visitors to the Northrop site. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr) Many of the original decorative flourishes fron the Northrop have been preserved or recreated for the renovation. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)A mock-up of the wall treatment at the back of the hall. The architects have carefully combined features of the original design, with the acoustic and accessibility needs of the new hall. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr) Sweeping stairways are a feature of the new design, as are improved elevators and added bathrooms. Tim Moore says the bathrooms were designs so "everyone who needs to go can go" within 15 minutes. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)Another feature of the old Northrop, a collection of urns which lined the auditorium walls, will be featured alongside stairways in the new design. Although they will now be outside the hall, Northrop staff say they will end up very close to their original positions in the building. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)Looking up at where the lighting grid will go, it's clear how large the the Northrop performance space remains. The renovations included a loading dock which was part of the original design (and has been sorely missed since the 1930s) and a crossover behind the stage, also omitted from the original design. Up till now performers leaving one side of th stage would have to run through the Northrop basement if they needed to enter on the other side of the stage. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)The extent of the change at Northrop is clear from the stage. The hall has been cut from 4800 seats to 2700, by replacing the old balcony with three smaller balconies. The new space has been designed with the aim of making it more flexible, accessible, and welcoming. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)The orchestra pit goes down three levels, but has a rising floor which will be adjusted as to the needs of each production. If necessary the floor can be raised to the level of the stage, extending what is already one of the largest dance stages in the country even more. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)The stage as seen from the ground floor of the auditorium. The brightly lit area underneath is the orchestra pit, currently being used as a lunch room by construction workers. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)One of the features of the old Northrop was the arched frieze of plaster moldings around the front of the stage. These have been preserved, although some will be repalced by fibreglass replicas which will improve the acoustics in the hall. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)One of the many additions to the new Northrop is a warm-up and rehearsal room adjacent to the stage on the ground floor. All of the rooms are acoustically isolated, allowing for simultaneous use by different groups without disturbing others nearby. All of the spaces are designed to be flexible, capable of anything from a meeting and lecture to a full blown performance. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)The Founders Room on the third floor is another flexible space, but also features catering facilities. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)Some of the wall treatments feature a physical representation of a dance score. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr) The marble top of the original balustrade is carefully wrapped to protect it from damage during the reconstruction (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)The dizzying view from the top balcony shows how the new design moves much of the audience closer to the stage. The redesign features better sight-lines, with 80 percent of the audience members being within 100 feet of the stage. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)The new design features a combined film, lecture and recital hall in the space which used to be the back of the Northrop balcony. The 160 seat hall features an active digital acoustic system which allows presenters to alter the sound of the room so it is optimal for music, voice or recorded sountrack. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)The gallery space on the top floor, which was the original home of the Weisman Art Museum will once again become a gallery, although Northrop staff say they have yet to decide how the space will be curated. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr)
Euan Kerr
Still six months away from completion, the $100 million renovation of the Northrop Auditorium at the University of Minnesota is taking shape. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr) 
The columns on the front of Northrop Auditorium still present a commanding presence at one end of the Mall on the U of M campus. However inside, it is getting a huge renovation. (MPR photo/Euan Kerr) View full gallery 
