Performing better: concert halls costs

Concert halls are complex and expensive to design and build, often leading to significant project overruns. Cost manager Paul Davis has identified some of the key expenses involved and developed a cost model that looks at the figures in detail.

Concert halls form an important part of the cultural fabric of cities across the world. But they are complex to design and build, often costing more and taking longer to complete than planned, leaving clients with costly project overruns, and difficulties gaining funding.

Architecturally, concert halls are often ‘world class’ and designed according to international acoustic standards.  Across Europe, government funding cuts mean there is also a growing requirement for them to be multi-functional performance spaces, capable of staging ballets and international orchestras to hosting corporate events, often impacting on the authenticity of their design and of the audience experience, leading to even greater cost considerations beyond more traditional concert hall builds.

We’ve identified some key design, procurement and construction considerations and costs that should be considered as part of any successful new-build concert hall project.

Design

Maximising the listener experience is a priority, making acoustics and design of the auditorium — along with front and back of house, which together typically take up 50 per cent of the space inside — critical design considerations.

Procurement

Preferred procurement options should be considered early on in concert hall projects to ensue compliance with funders and should align with local market conditions, while procurement strategies should ensure risk is split appropriately between client and contractor.

Construction

Concert hall construction typically represents 50- 60 per cent of total project expenditure, with auditorium and rehearsal spaces often the most costly areas to fit out.

To understand the many costs involved, we’ve examined these considerations in depth to create a cost model based on a new-build, international standard, 2,000-seat concert hall on a brownfield site in London with a gross floor area of 18,000m^2.

Download here