PROJECT  Forum Auditorium

LOCATION  Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  10/14/2014

ARCHITECT  Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects

ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT  

OWNER/CLIENT  Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS)

CONTRACTOR  RLS Construction, Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHER  John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography / Mike Mihalo, Mike Mihalo Photography

DESIGN TEAM  Frank E. Dittenhafer II, FAIA, LEED AP, Bruce R. Johnson, AIA, LEED AP, Debra J. Miller-Schober, CID, IIDA, David L. Ritter, Associate AIA

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT:

The historic Forum Auditorium is located in the Pennsylvania State Capitol complex in downtown Harrisburg. The iconic venue built in 1931 and designed by architects William Gehron and Sidney Ross is home to the Harrisburg Symphony - and also hosts some of the larger performances, graduations and events held every year in the City. Like many State owned/DGS managed properties, necessary maintenance is typically deferred and improvements postponed until funding is appropriated – which is usually subsequent to additional damage and deterioration. The interior repairs and renovations accomplished within the scope of this project addressed a number of very pressing needs: new seating, repair and conservation of historic wall and ceiling murals, new carpeting and floor finishes, and energy efficient retrofitting of lights with new LED lamping. The Architect led a meticulous design effort involving the replacement of all 1,763 existing seats (from a 1982 “remuddling”) anchored to the existing tiered concrete substructure – with new more comfortable seats spaced and installed in a layout that provided more knee/leg room to symphony ticket holders and other complaining customers – but without any noticeable change in the overall appearance of the auditorium. The Architect’s efforts were successful with 1,610 new seats installed – all with ornamented side panels, wood arms/backs and “moss green” mohair fabric upholstery that matches the mohair color and detailing of the original 1931 seat found in the Forum basement. Historic cast bronze railings were repaired, cleaned and reinstalled in conjunction with new LED tread/aisle lighting. The wall and ceiling murals depicting the “march progress of mankind and overwhelming majesty of the heavens” were surveyed in detail by the Architect’s conservation team from scaffolding and ladders - examining and documenting the condition of each canvas section including the constellations and depictions from the zodiac – where more than one thousand illuminated stars are shown in their proper position. In-situ repairs/restorations to the most deteriorated, damaged areas or sections were made by pre-qualified specialists in accordance with the Architect’s detailed specifications for the preservation process. The Architect was also responsible for additional investigations and repairs to less visible components including selected mechanical units, leaking roof drains/rusted rain leaders, spalling/cracked concrete substructure, granite block retaining walls, vehicular service ramps and the historic cobblestone driveway pavers at the main entrance. Although not as noteworthy as the seats or murals, addressing these critical issues and the maintenance problems they represented – and in a manner that is not noticeable to the trained eye – was equally, if not even more important to the long term stewardship of this Commonwealth landmark.

IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS

IMAGE 1  File Name: 01_The Forum Auditorium_high res ext, Caption: Exterior of The Forum, Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography and Mike Mihalo Photography

IMAGE 2  File Name: 02_The Forum Auditorium_high res int, Caption: Interior View of The Forum Auditorium Restored, Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography and Mike Mihalo Photography

IMAGE 3  File Name: 03_The Forum Auditorium, Caption: Interior View from Stage, Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography and Mike Mihalo Photography

IMAGE 4  File Name: 04_The Forum Auditorium, Caption: Restored Ceiling Murals, Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography and Mike Mihalo Photography

IMAGE 5  File Name: 05_The Forum Auditorium, Caption: Interior View of Restored Auditorium, Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography and Mike Mihalo Photography

IMAGE 6  File Name: 06_The Forum Auditorium, Caption: Interior View at Upper Promenade, Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography and Mike Mihalo Photography

IMAGE 7  File Name: 07_The Forum Auditorium, Caption: Historic Doors, Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography and Mike Mihalo Photography

Media For Download
Project PDF