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The Bushnell Performing Arts Center

Hartford, Connecticut

Client: The Bushnell Theater
Architect: Wilson Butler Lodge
Theatre Consultant: Fisher Dachs Associates
Acoustician: Jaffe Holden Acoustic
Completion: 2001

Designed by Wilson Butler Lodge Inc., the 907-seat Belding Theater is a multi-purpose hall adjacent to Hartford’s Bushnell Memorial Hall, providing a moderate size alternative for this important performing arts center.

Custom adjustable low voltage accent lights recessed into the ceiling catwalks do double-duty as seating lighting and as a decorative signature element. Tiers of catwalk mounted low voltage linear fixtures illuminate the painted ceilings. All seating and ceiling lighting is easily maintained from the catwalks without interference with the theatrical fixtures.

The Grand Stair of the Lobby is graced by a delicate tracery of decorative cable mounted lamps and a Dale Chihully sculpture adds a burst of color to the Great Hall, a prominent multi-function space. The public areas also include a new box office, gift shop, and café.