Building a Dream 1928-31:
Design and Construction

When announced in 1928, the construction of a permanent home for The Cleveland Orchestra was intended as a gift from John Long Severance and his wife, Elisabeth. Severance, whose father had served as treasurer of Rockefeller's Standard Oil, was then president of the Orchestra's board of trustees (he served from 1921-36). Since it’s founding in 1918, the Orchestra had led a nomadic existence, performing in auditoriums and theaters throughout the city and on tour. Although its major subscription series was presented at Masonic Auditorium beginning with the second season, scheduling conflicts prevented further expansion of the concert season.

Shortly after the announcement of the Severances' initial $1-million pledge, Elisabeth Severance died unexpectedly. In the months and years that followed, Mr. Severance devoted his energies and finances toward the new hall as a memorial to his wife. He spent nearly three times his initial pledge toward the building's design and construction. The overall cost of the hall represented a total investment of nearly $7 million from Severance, other benefactors, and the public.

The Cleveland architectural firm of Walker & Weeks was chosen to design the Orchestra's new home. As the city's leading architects, they were responsible for much of Cleveland' s visual character during the expansion years during and just after World War I. The many civic and landmark buildings by Walker & Weeks include Cleveland Public Auditorium (1922), Federal Reserve Bank (1923), Cleveland Public Library (1925), and Allen Memorial Medical Library (1926). Their work was founded on beautifully-crafted, monumental buildings, and featured the synthesis of a variety of popular and classic styles into harmonious melding of complementary ideas.

When selecting a site for their new hall, the Orchestra chose a location in the heart of Cleveland's University Circle area, an idyllic setting on the city's east side that serves as home to an unrivalled concentration of major cultural, medical, and education institutions—including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and what is today Case Western Reserve University.

Construction began in December 1929 and was completed by early 1931. The building as a whole reflects John L. Severance's determination to create an elegant structure of the finest materials, incorporating the most advanced features available at the time of its construction. The Georgian exterior was chosen to harmonize with the classical architecture of the Cleveland Museum of Art and with the graceful gardens and pond in front of the museum. Ohio sandstone was used in the terrace and base of the building, while upper sections were built of Indiana limestone.

The interior rooms and areas reflected a planned and harmonious eclecticism. Certain design elements used throughout the hall helped to unify and tie together the diverse styles of Art Deco, French Nouveau, Classicism, Egyptian Revival, and Modernism found in various interior areas. One unifying design motif was the lotus blossom, said to have been the favorite flower of Mrs. Severance. Lotus flowers and papyrus leaf patterns appeared in many shapes, formats, and sizes in nearly every public area of the hall.

The architectural significance of Severance Hall has been recognized by local and national preservation societies, including the Cleveland Landmarks Commission and the National Register of Historic Places.

The hall's opening concert, conducted by Nikolai Sokoloff, the Orchestra's founding music director, took place on February 5, 1931. The program included performances of Bach's Passacaglia(as orchestrated by Alexander Goedicke), the world premiere of Charles Martin Loeffler's Evocation, and Brahms's First Symphony.

At intermission of the opening night concert, Dudley S. Blossom Sr., vice president of the Musical Arts Association, recognized John L. Severance's generosity and declared that Severance Hall was, "in the last analysis, a gift to all the people of Cleveland. It is they who are the real beneficiary; it is they who are going to come here day after day and year after year to enjoy the comfort, the charm, and the loveliness of this beautiful hall."

The building of Severance Hall took place over a period of 14 months

Building an Orchestra:
The Cleveland Sound

From the day it opened, Severance Hall helped to shape The Cleveland Orchestra into the ensemble it is today. Among the first concert halls designed and built with radio broadcasting capability, Severance Hall helped to carry the name of Cleveland across the country. Having its own home provided the Orchestra with the ability to rehearse and perform in a single acoustic.

It quickly became apparent, however, that Severance Hall's original acoustics were not ideal for a symphonic concert hall. At George Szell's insistence after his first decade as music director, the first major changes to the auditorium were completed. With consultation from Heinrich Keilholz, who had just completed renovations at the Vienna State Opera, a new stage shell was erected inside Severance Hall during the summer of 1958. Its curved maple side panels were filled with sand to a height of nine feet in order to create an especially solid and reflective surface. Matching wooden panels overhead completely enclosed the stage to reflect sound into the auditorium. To further increase the hall's reverberance, carpeting and curtains were removed from the seating areas.

The debut of the new Severance Hall sound in the fall of 1958 was deemed an unqualified success. The new acoustics helped The Cleveland Orchestra quickly refine and polish its distinct and characteristic sound under Szell's expert guidance. Frequently acclaimed for their uniformity in performance and the chamber music-like qualities of their playing, the Orchestra soon joined ranks with the world's greatest symphonic ensembles.

In other respects, however, Severance Hall was by the 1970s beginning to show its age. Backstage and administrative spaces were increasingly cramped, and services for patrons could not be expanded beyond basic requirements. The original drive-through for automobiles was converted to a pre-concert restaurant, but menu offerings were restricted by limited on-site cooking facilities and limited hours of operation.

Over the years, Severance Hall's ornate and magnificent details had faded and its backstage facilities had become inadequate. New generations, brought up with newer and more expansive facilities, were too often disappointed with the limited amenities and services that surrounded a concert performance. As described by Bernard Holland of the New York Times in 1998, Severance Hall had become "agreeably shabby."

Under the leadership of Music Director George Szell, Severance Hall underwent an acoustical renovation in 1958.

Preparing for the Future:
Restoration and Expansion

Artistically, The Cleveland Orchestra has remained among the world's top ensembles. The appointment in 1982 of Christoph von Dohnányi as music director brought renewed vigor and accolades, as well as renewed recording activity and increased touring.

The appointment in 1987 of Thomas W. Morris as executive director created a similar renewal offstage, supported by continuing accord within the organization's governing Board of Trustees, led by Ward Smith (president from 1983-95).

Economically, the city of Cleveland had also seen new and sustained growth and revitalization from the mid-1980s onward, helping the Orchestra maintain sound and balanced fiscal operations.

In 1994, a taskforce of Orchestra trustees and community leaders, chaired by Alex Machaskee, was formed to review Severance Hall's current state and to then draw up a vision for its future as a renewed home for The Cleveland Orchestra and as an expanded cultural center for the Cleveland community.

A major driving force for a significant renovation project was the decision to restore and relocate Severance Hall's original 6,025-pipe, 94-rank E.M. Skinner organ, which Music Director Christoph von Dohnányi had identified as an important objective at the beginning of his tenure. The original installation of the organ had placed it in a large catwalk area high above the stage, but the resulting sound was thought to be somewhat distant and less than ideal. George Szell's 1958 acoustical stage shell, while vastly improving the overall sound of the Hall, effectively entombed the organ and, since the mid-1970s, it had gone unused.

In 1997, the Board of Trustees endorsed plans for a major renovation and expansion of Severance Hall, including $2 million for relocation and restoration of the organ. The organ's pipes and machinery were removed from the building during the summer of 1997. After refurbishment by the Schantz Organ Company, the organ returned in summer 2000 for reinstallation and tuning. The restored organ made its debut with The Cleveland Orchestra in January 2001.

In all, $36.7 million was committed to the Severance Hall Renovation Project. The design of a five-story addition to the back of the building, along with restoration and renovation work throughout existing public spaces, respects the historical integrity of Walker & Weeks' original creation. GSI Architects Inc. of Cleveland served as architects-of-record for the project, working to realize designs by David M. Schwarz Architectural Services. Jaffe Holden Scarbrough oversaw the acoustic work in both auditoriums. Sonya Winner-Smith served as restoration consultant (and project manager), with Panzica Construction Company serving as general contractor.

Renovation Overview

When it opened in 1931, Severance Hall was one of the most modern, up-to-date concert facilities in America and has remained an ideal home for The Cleveland Orchestra for nearly 70 years.

Now, with the renovation and expansion complete, Severance Hall meets the standards of the world-class orchestra that calls it home. Severance Hall reopened January 8, 2000, as a state-of-the art concert hall with new and updated amenities to benefit both patrons and musicians.

The new Severance Hall has elicited commentary from music critics throughout America and much of Europe.

Allan Kozinn wrote in the New York Times that "the renovated concert hall sounds as seductive as it looks."

Michael Horst reported in the Berlin Morgenpost, "Architect David Schwarz was asked to create a new stage that would match the art deco styling of the auditorium.... The final result is a suit made to measure, whose dignified splendor harmonizes with the cast-iron music stands of the orchestra — a masterpiece of confectionery....”

Stephen Pettitt in the London Financial Times commented, "Architect David Schwarz and acoustician Christopher Jaffe have come up with a stunning redesign of the stage of the main auditorium, a bold and flamboyant pastiche of the art deco style of the main body of the hall....” 

Janelle Gelfand in the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote that "Severance Hall is now the most visually stunning setting for an orchestra this side of Vienna's Musikverein. Even better, its pristine acoustics — the quality responsible for 'the Cleveland sound' — have been preserved and even enhanced."

Hella Boschmann reported in Berlin's Die Welt, "Cleveland's Severance Hall…now ranks visually at the very top of the list of America's legendary Big Five orchestras."

Project Components and Information
1998-2000

Renovation

• Construction of a new concert stage evocative of the very first stage and designed to complement the auditorium's architecture while retaining and enhancing Severance Hall's unique and important acoustical properties.
• Improved patron access and amenities in public gathering spaces.
• Improved accommodations for musicians and artists, including expanded backstage facilities.
• New lighting, communication, and technical support systems to facilitate broadcast and recording of The Cleveland Orchestra.

Restoration

• Faithful restoration of existing historic and architecturally important spaces, including the 2,100-seat Concert Hall, the 400-seat Reinberger Chamber Hall, the Grand Foyer, and other patron spaces.
• Refurbishment and restoration of the hall's original E.M. Skinner Norton Memorial Organ (link to Norton Memorial Organ page) by Schantz Organ Company, and re-installation of the organ's 6,025 pipes as part of the new concert shell.

 Expansion

• Construction of a five-story addition (39,000 square feet) at the rear of the building.
• Additional backstage facilities to accommodate a wider variety of musical presentations.
• Expanded facilities and catering services for private dinners, meetings, and rentals.
• A full-service restaurant open to the public on concert afternoons and evenings.
• A retail store featuring Cleveland Orchestra CDs and musically-related gift items.
• Doubling of the number of public restrooms, including a 150% increase in women's restrooms.

Renovation Project Information

Project Timeline

Photo Essay

Click on any of the images below for a larger detail.

The 6,025-pipe E. M. Skinner organ was removed in July of 1997 for restoration at Schantz Organ Co. of Orrville, Ohio. The organ will be inaugurated in January 2001.

Limestone was removed from the exterior rear of building in December 1997 to prepare for the new 5-story addition. The limestone was quarried from the same area in Indiana as the original.

A Groundbreaking Ceremony on March 24, 1998 marks the start of construction on the new addition.

From March through December 1999, the 1958 stage shell was demolished, a new stage was constructed and the auditorium and other architecturally important spaces were restored.

Demolition of 1958 stage shell

Seats were removed from the Concert Hall and scaffolding erected for restoration to proceed.

A new stage was designed to visually harmonize with the rest of the Concert Hall interior

The Grand Foyer ceiling and column capitals were re-leafed and re-painted.

A terrazzo floor with a lotus flower design was laid in the new ground floor lobby.

Severance Hall reopens on January 8, 2000 with a Gala Concert by The Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Christoph von Dohnányi.

The newly renovated Severance Hall (Hedrich Blessing finished shots)

Concert Hall Reinberger Chamber Hall

Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer Smith Lobby, facing the entrance to Reinberger Chamber Hall

Severance The Restaurant Rankin Board Room

Ong Gallery Lerner Lobby

PHOTOS BY:
ROGER MASTROIANNI/THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA