Theater construction projects come with an inherent set of challenges for engineers, architects and construction managers. Besides audience safety, they also must meet the needs of performers, create space for set deployment, and account for directors and producers who demand precise timing and mechanical performance to deliver the best production possible. Unlike the tales told on stage, there is no magic wand to take care of all those concerns.
Architects were especially challenged by the newly-constructed Hale Center Theatre in Sandy City, Utah. The theater cost $80 million, construction began in 2015 and the venue officially opened on September 1, 2017. The new structure replaces a facility in nearby West Valley City, and includes two stages that seat 1,360 guests. Tait Towers, whose portfolio includes work for the Opening Ceremonies at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, designed the stage. The theater is among the most technologically advanced in the United States, and perhaps the world.