A cultural landmark taking up an entire city block in Houston is undergoing a multi-million-dollar rejuvenation designed to make the performing arts more enjoyable and accessible for all. The upgrades to the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, known to locals as Jones Hall, are designed to keep the history of this vital entertainment venue intact while simultaneously fostering a welcoming environment for audiences and performers alike.
Originally completed in October 1966 and designed by the Houston-based architectural firm Caudill Rowlett Scott, the hall features a white Italian marble exterior with eight-story tall columns and a lobby dominated by a 60-foot ceiling. The concert hall was unique, with 800 hexagonal ceiling segments that could be raised or lowered to change the acoustics.
Sound on
The renovations are taking place in phases to allow the venue to remain open to performers and audiences—including the hall’s two resident companies, the Houston Symphony and Performing Arts Houston. Phase One saw significant upgrades to the venue’s acoustics, followed by “behind the scenes” improvements to the stage, orchestra pit, and backstage amenities.
Accessibility at center stage
Seating layout and audience comfort upgrades came in 2023, along with significant accessibility updates to bring the venue up to current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
A custom Savaria V-1504 Prestige vertical platform wheelchair lift (VPL) now sits with pride in the grand entrance lobby.
“The venue had an older and very basic wheelchair lift, kind of hidden around the back of the building and difficult to get to, even if you knew it was there,” says Brent Coutts, chief operating officer of 101 Mobility Houston, the Savaria dealer on the project. “Like many buildings of that vintage, accessibility was an afterthought with the equipment added much later.”
But in the 2020s, diversity, equity, and inclusion are the name of the game. Accessibility can be beautiful.
The Savaria V-1504 Prestige was designed to add to the aesthetic appeal of upscale commercial and public buildings. Built from ½-inch structural tempered glass with no visible frame, and stainless steel or optional colors for the tower and platform, it’s a sleekly modern approach to barrier-free access. Powered by a 20 feet/minute hydraulic drive system operated by constant pressure controls, there’s no machine room needed.
The new lift is located right beside the main staircase, requiring a custom travel distance of 90 inches to carry a wheelchair user and attendant from the street-level entrance to the mezzanine.
Typically, the B wall of a VPL of this height would include 36 inches of stainless steel, but the designers on the Jones Hall project wanted the ultimate in aesthetic detail and specified that the B wall be made entirely of glass.
“It’s an incredibly cool thing that we got to do, to be part of such an important project, on such a culturally significant local landmark,” Coutts says. “More importantly, we were all working towards ensuring accessibility for everyone to enjoy these amazing performances. It’s a truly welcoming public space. We’re really proud of the part we played in making it happen.”
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