Performing Arts Design
Brock Recital Hall - Samford University
Growing up with a mom who taught piano, taking piano myself for 4 years, taking ballet from age three and performing in the Mobile Ballet Company for 7 years, playing in the youth handbell choir, having a brother and sister in the high school marching band, and all four of us either singing or accompanying our church youth choir, I learned to appreciate music and dance performances all throughout my childhood and adolescence. This background, coupled with my lifelong passion for architecture, has fostered my love for designing performing arts spaces.
I remember one of the aspects that initially drew me to Davis Architects was their expertise in performing arts design, including both UAB’s Alys Stephens Center and WorkPlay. I was thrilled when I began my first week at Davis as an architectural intern assigned to the design team for Samford University’s Brock Recital Hall. It was exhilarating to work on a building type that was so memorable from my formative years and yet to see it with a new lens of focus as I drafted many of the CAD details, from the Classical entablature at the main entry doors to the Palladian-inspired rear stage wall. This project taught me about the science of acoustics, the nuances of audience sightlines, and the complexities of performance rigging structure. The 350-seat space has the intimate quality of a chapel combined with a French salon. To this day, it remains one of my favorite performance venues in Birmingham. Chanticleer, Sybarite5, Richard Goode, the US Army Band, and Voces8 are just a few of the world-class performers I have been privileged to see in this sparkling gem of a venue.
Another formative performing arts project in my career has been the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, now the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater. Managing the design and construction of this 7,500-seat concert venue taught me how to consider amplified sound and visual projection in an open-air setting, guest parking and wayfinding, VIP access, and flexible back-of house facilities for visiting concert acts. Relaxing under the stars watching Garrison Keillor perform live with the Prairie Home Companion band was a magical experience I recall from my first concert at the ‘Amp,’ as it is now commonly called. The list of big-name performers who have graced its stage includes Kenny Chesney, John Legend, Counting Crows, Miranda Lambert, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Mary J. Blige, Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, and many more. Its resounding success has spurred significant nearby downtown development in the years since its completion in 2011, as it anchors the Tuscaloosa River District.
In an exciting full-circle moment, I am now managing the Saban Center project under construction directly across the road from the amphitheater! As the future home to the Tuscaloosa Children’s Theatre, the Saban Center will offer performing arts training for a new generation of artists and technicians. With a 200-seat Flex Theatre, music room, dance studio, and ensemble rehearsal space, the addition of the Saban Center promises to transform arts education in the local community for decades to come.
This May, I look forward to the opening of another milestone project by Davis Architects to serve the next generation of performers at Jacksonville State University’s Randy Owen Center for the Arts (the ROC). This 1,000-seat concert hall has truly been a momentous achievement for everyone involved. As Mr. Owen serenaded Governor Kay Ivey at the groundbreaking ceremony in 2024 and shared about how JSU inspired him to launch his country music career, I was deeply impressed by his personal commitment to pay it forward through this project. Creating opportunities for others to follow in his footsteps, Mr. Owen envisioned the ROC as a performance and training hub for musicians, vocalists, and actors, from quartets to 120-member band concerts. It will also serve as an important venue for visiting shows and concerts, starting with the grand opening concert scheduled for May 27th. I can’t wait to see how the ROC sets the stage for a new era of performers from our state. Cue lights!
Written by Emily Horton