Thrivent Financial Hall, Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA

Thrivent Financial Hall is the concert hall component of Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. Fox Cities presents a wide gamut of performances- symphonic music, recitals, opera, amplified music events, touring Broadway shows, theater, dance, educational events, seminars, and films - with both regional talent and international, traveling productions.

With excellent sightlines and acoustics, the 2072-seat hall manages to sense of intimacy for its audience and performers, despite its size. Approximately half these seats are located on the Orchestra Level, and additional horseshoe-shaped balconies wrap around the sidewalls to bring the audience close to the stage. The farthest seat of the house is only 108 feet from the front of the stage. The balconies also serve as sound reflectors, to enhance the acoustical qualities of the performance. The decorative detailing of the walls and columns within the room, also serve a dual purpose as they help disperse sound energy throughout the auditorium. Acoustic draperies along the walls can be drawn or retracted, into pockets in the walls, to fine-tune the acoustics as necessary.

The Center opened in 2002, after an aggressive fast track design/build process that allowed only 35 months for design, construction and commissioning. This process was further challenged by the ground-borne noise and vibration caused by the sites proximity to a busy traffic intersection and freight way. Artec recommended a massive concrete mat foundation under the entire facility to achieve the necessary isolation for intimate performances.

Artec provided Design and Planning services covering Pre-Design Phase services, Auditorium Design, Facility Planning, Specialized Performance Equipment Systems Design and Background Noise and Vibration Control consulting for Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. The Architect for the facility was Zeidler Partnership Architects.