HISTORY

Marion Oliver McCaw Hall opened on June 28, 2003. Designed by LMN Architects, featuring the work of interior designer Deborah Sussman, artist Leni Schwendinger, and the landscape designers of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd.

The sound in the hall is nothing short of amazing.

— Melinda Bargreen,
The Seattle Times, "Opening Knight," August 4, 2003

The new Hall fulfilled nearly ten years of hard work and dedication from the staffs of Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Seattle Center.

Between December 2001 and June 2003, more than 775 construction workers from the Skanska construction company turned Seattle Opera’s former home into the new Marion Oliver McCaw Hall.

The dramatic transformation was visible from the street, and opera and ballet patrons on their way to the temporary Mercer Arts Arena could watch as the outer shells of the original 1962 and 1927 buildings were stripped away and replaced with a gleaming glass curtain wall. More than 70% of the old building was replaced by the new construction. Behind the façade, exciting changes took place. A new auditorium, lobbies, backstage, orchestra pit, and café were created. Wiring, plumbing, and HVAC systems—some dating back to 1927—were replaced. And a new lecture hall was added, as were additional restrooms, a coat check, and Amusements, a gift shop.

The new hall opened on time on June 28. On June 29, the front-page news was: "McCaw Hall is a Hit."

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Main Photo © Lara Swimmer  |  Photos © Alan Alabastro, © Elise Bakketun