State of the Arts

The complicated structural engineering that went into the Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, allows patrons and performers to focus fully on the arts, and not on the many challenges the engineers has to overcome. The hall’s traditional horseshoe shape forced engineers to devise cantilevered seating levels supported by tubular beams rather than columns, which would have obstructed patrons’ views. Acoustical considerations drove the decision to provide movable ceiling levels and complex pulleys for stage props. The result is a world-class performance hall that offers a superior auditory and visual experience.