Heinz Hall

600 Penn Avenue

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Home to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

and

the cornerstone of the Cultural District of Pittsburgh.

The structure evolved from its origin in 1927 as the Loew's Penn Theatre to its renovation and dedication as Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts in 1971. 

Motion picture magnate, Marcus Loew hired the architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp to design the opulent movie house.  Known as Pittsburgh's "Temple of the Cinema" the building was regarded as the most magificent theatre between New York and Chicago.  Audible gasps from first-nighters would be heard as they entered the Grand Lobby on opening night.  A marble staircase led from the Grand Lobby with its 50-foot-high vaulted Venetian ceiling supported by massive ornamental columns.

Bronze and crystal chandeliers and imported silk damask draperies complimented the lobby artwork.  An organ, which would be destroyed in a 1936 flood, was touted to be "the greatest musical instrument the world has ever known".  Those in attendance were treated to a two-hour silent film and a live stage show.  

Such spectacles were not restricted to Pittsburgh.  In the early decades of the century, Americans flocked in droves to similarly designed theatres.  These flamboyant and stately palaces were built of the most costly materials, embellished with gold leaf cherubs, crystal chandeliers, Carrara marble and Persian tiles. 

With the advent of televsion, declining attendance and the rising costs of maintaining such landmarks, the Penn Theatre, in line with the nation's other great movie palaces, was forced to shut its doors in 1964.  The building then sat vacant for five years.  Destined to be demolished to make way for a parking lot, the building was nearly destroyed until the Pittsburgh Symphony intervened. 

Thank you Pittsburgh Symphony!

The Pittsburgh Symphony was searching for a new home, having outgrown Carnegie Music Hall.  The economic advantages to recycling the well-constructed theatre were clearly apparent.  To explore the feasibility of using the building, Henry J. Heinz II and Charles Denby, president of the Pittburgh Symphony Society, toured the old movie palace. Together, they had the vision to look past the rundown interior and see that with proper restoration the hall could be a brillant cultural center. Along with Adolph W. Schmidt, president of the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust and Theodore Hazlett, Jr., representing the Allegheny Conference and the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, these men worked with the architectural firm of Stotz, Hess, MacLachlan & Fosner to begin the construction.

The $10 million recontruction took place over a three-year period, with much of the work completed by local craftsmen and artisans. Much of the basic architecture of the building remained unchanged from the original French Court style. The entrance to the theatre was moved into the area that had once been a coffee shop.  The 40-foot Alcoa window replaced the original entrance and rises above the Grand Lobby.

Breche opal and Lavanto marble, plush red velvet and shimmering crystal are the main elements in the decoration of the interior of the Hall. The gold detailing throughout is 24-karat gold leaf, which was applied by two local craftsmen of the A.J. Vater Company,  who worked on its application for 18 months.  The two spectacular 15-foot chandeliers in the Grand Lobby, weighing more than one ton each and which were part of the original theatre, were dismantled, redesigned and recrystalled. The crystals on these and all of the chandeliers were imported from J & L. Lobyer of Vienna. The acoustical consultant was Dr. Heinrich Keilholz of Salzburg, Austria.  An adjustable orchestra pit, to accommodate 85 musicians and powered by a hydraulic lift, was added for opera and stage performances.

As part of the renovation, a new five-story wing was added to the rear of the building which added 28 feet to the stage, plus dressing rooms, a music library and rehearsal room facilities. The main rehearsal room was designed to the exact dimensions of the stage area. All of the rooms are soundproofed and equipped with acoustical panels. 

September 10, 1971 was the Grand Opening of Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts.  It was a celebration of ceremony and pageantry with flowers, dinners, champagne and music.  Many of Pittsburgh's most prominent citizens were in attendance for the festivities with a Pittsburgh Symphony concert under the baton of William Steinberg.  

The guest list included such dignitaries as Marian Anderson, Charlton Heston, James Earl Jones, Gregory Peck and Nancy Hanks, then chair of the National Council on the Arts. 

In keeping with its grand tradition, Heinz Hall maintains its position as a world-class, acoustically stunning concert hall to be enjoyed for generations to come.

Thank goodness it was saved and not turned into a parking lot.