The Next Chapter for Benaroya Hall

By Martin K. Johansson

The reopening of Benaroya Hall following the completion of the Amplify capital campaign renovations marks an exciting new chapter for the Seattle Symphony and our community. 

Since opening in 1998, Benaroya Hall has been a cultural anchor in downtown Seattle. It has become a gathering place where live music brings people together, a beloved civic landmark and a catalyst for the city’s vibrant arts community. For nearly three decades, Benaroya Hall has been a place where our community finds connection through extraordinary, shared experiences. 

Today, as Seattle continues its own renewal — with a revitalized waterfront, expanded light rail and growing energy throughout downtown — Benaroya Hall begins its next chapter. Amplify reflects our belief that arts and culture are essential to a thriving community, and our commitment to ensuring that everyone who joins us at Benaroya Hall feels welcome and inspired. 

Working with our project partners at Mithun, Seneca Group and Sellen Construction, we have thoughtfully reimagined Benaroya Hall’s public spaces to better serve today’s audiences while honoring the original vision that made this building such a transformative civic landmark. 

As you explore, you’ll find spaces designed to invite gathering, conversation and discovery. Design elements inspired by music create a visual rhythm throughout the building, while work by local artists, craftspeople and fabricators connects the project to the larger creative community. From hand-blown glass lighting created by Wishbone Industrial Arts in the hot shop at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, to custom furnishings crafted by Queen Anne Upholstery and CreoWorks of Woodinville, Amplify highlights the remarkable talent found throughout our community. 

Whether a visitor is attending their first Seattle Symphony performance, returning as a longtime subscriber, meeting friends for lunch or simply exploring Benaroya Hall for the afternoon, these spaces were designed to make every visit feel more welcoming, comfortable and connected. 

Among the many new and reimagined spaces are the Leslie & Dale Chihuly Welcome Hub, which serves as a central point of arrival and hospitality in The Boeing Company Gallery; Marianna’s Café, offering a new dining experience created in partnership with award-winning Seattle chef and restaurateur Ethan Stowell and Benaroya Hall’s new food and beverage partner, Sodexo Live!; and The Delta Air Lines Foundation Community Space, where classes, conversations, intimate performances and gatherings will bring people together throughout the year. The Community Space also features rotating exhibitions by local artists, creating another opportunity to celebrate the creativity and diversity of our region while welcoming new audiences into Benaroya Hall. The expanded Public Art Program is made possible by Lyle and Andrea Snyder and the James D. and Sherry Raisbeck Foundation. 

The newly named Bill Gates Sr. Recital Hall Lobby is now home to Robert Rauschenberg’s mural Echo, commissioned for the grand opening of Benaroya Hall in 1998. In its new location, Echo is visible to visitors in its entirety for the first time. The relocation was made possible by Jon and Kim Shirley and Barbara and Charlie Wright. 

The central Elias & Karyl Alvord Lobby Bar in the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby creates a new focal point, and Jane’s Overlook Lounge is a destination unto itself with dramatic views of the Gallery below. Together, these spaces create new opportunities for visitors to connect with one another before making their way through the Charles & Lisa Simonyi Grand Entrance to experience the performance that awaits in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium. 

Each of these spaces reflects extraordinary generosity. Named spaces throughout Benaroya Hall honor individuals, families, foundations and corporate partners whose vision and philanthropy have helped shape this new chapter. Their leadership inspired hundreds of members of our community to support Amplify, making this transformation possible. 

The completion of Amplify is an investment in the future of live music and the arts, in the continued vitality of downtown Seattle and in the experiences that will be shared within the walls of Benaroya Hall. This is the lasting legacy of all those who helped bring this vision to life. 

To each donor, partner and member of our community who made Amplify possible, thank you. Together, you have created inviting spaces that will inspire connection, celebrate the arts and strengthen Benaroya Hall’s role as the cultural heart of downtown Seattle for generations to come. 

Now Benaroya Hall’s story continues, and you are a part of it. Whether you’re here for your first visit or your hundredth, we hope these renewed spaces bring you moments of connection, discovery and joy — and remind you that Benaroya Hall belongs to us all.