Consigli Construction Co., Inc. completed the restoration of Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House in 2017, which, to date, represented New York’s oldest surviving theater’s most significant upgrade project. The Consigli team has maintained a close and collaborative relationship with Hudson Hall and its executive leadership since the beginning of their initial partnership and remains committed to supporting its mission and arts community.

“For Hudson Hall, Consigli is The Dream Team,” said Tambra Dillon, Executive Director of Hudson Hall. “When we dreamed of returning New York State’s oldest surviving theater to community use, not only did Consigli do a stunning restoration, but they completed the project ahead of time. Then, Consigli was the first to invest in Hudson Hall’s historic tax credits and has always stepped up to show their support.”

After receiving high prices from builders in the area when searching for a company to construct their set for Rodelinda, Hudson Hall reached out to Consigli for guidance. Rather than recommend a local set builder within their budget, Consigli offered to build the set at no cost to the organization.

“For Consigli, the Hudson Hall renovation ended up being much more than a construction project,” said Scott Cruikshank, Project Executive. “After witnessing their dedication to the community, mission and historic building, we left the project wanting to always help or do more. When the opportunity to build their Rodelinda set presented itself, we jumped at it, not only to help assist in this amazing production, but to again be with the Hudson Hall people that we so appreciate.”

Throughout the fall, Consigli’s team from the millwork shop worked with the production’s director, R.B. Schlather, to help guide the set construction and build important items like doors, tables and platforms to complete the vision.

“We treated the set building like one of our construction projects – we had a schedule and a plan,” said Cruikshank. “The Consigli team met regularly with the director and the Hudson Hall staff to coordinate everything from paint colors and architecture to building access. For us, the work was straightforward and fun.”

In early October, volunteers from Consigli’s New York regional offices spent time assisting the self-perform team with building walls, installing windows and doors, and painting the set once complete. As part of its commitment to positively impacting the communities where its teams live and work, Consigli offers employees 24 paid volunteer hours to use annually.

“Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine Consigli would be so generous as to build us a beautiful set for our upcoming production of Rodelinda,” said Dillon. “We are so grateful to the entire Consigli crew for their skills, generosity, and commitment to supporting the community.”

Learn more about Hudson Hall’s production of Rodelinda, which runs from October 20 – 29 here.

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“A commitment to accommodating complexity is part of Consigli’s DNA. I think they enjoy working with highly sophisticated clients and solving problems.”

– Architect William Rawn, ENR New England

© Robert Benson Photography

Consigli was tasked with a unique challenge: in 14 months, build a 25,000 sq. ft. world-class performance venue without disrupting any of the 2018 summer concert season. The Consigli team took a fast-track scheduling approach to ensure the buildings were enclosed by the spring, so less disruptive work could continue on the building’s interiors during the busy festival months. A strict delivery schedule was maintained and work was closely monitored to ensure the Tanglewood guest experience went uninterrupted. In naming Consigli the ENR New England “2019 Contractor of the Year,” the publication recognized Consigli for tackling some of the region’s most technically challenging projects, particularly those with unique schedule requirements.

The Linde Center at Tanglewood is an interconnected complex that includes a 200-seat, multi-purpose studio for rehearsals, lectures and events, a 150-seat café building with a servery and commercial kitchen, and a curved covered walkway connecting two additional learning/practice studios. The facility hosts space dedicated to the Tanglewood Music Center, a prestigious summer academy, and the Tanglewood Learning Institute, a popular lecture and adult education program. The project also incorporated an updated campus horticultural plan, which required a new irrigation system, preservation of a 100-year old oak tree and the planting of over 140 new trees and shrubs to provide welcome shade for concert-goers.

Consigli Project Manager David Brehaut described some of the challenges of the project, including the fact that the building facades are clad in a variety of materials—western red cedar shakes, curtain wall, zinc-coated copper reveals, sharp roof rakes, and fiberglass Z-Girts. He says, “it took quite a bit of coordination to get it right the first time,” citing Consigli’s pre-construction efforts to align the dissimilar materials and a stringent quality control process during construction to monitor the installation and create an effective air vapor barrier.

Tanglewood’s new studios and performance halls required extraordinary attention to acoustical detail, addressed through a design with fewer right angles and multi-layered flooring and wall systems to further dampen sound transfer within the spaces.

© Robert Benson Photography

In Studio E, the main studio space, all interior millwork was fabricated by Consigli’s Millshop in Pleasant Valley, NY and installed by in-house self-perform carpenters. Says Brehaut, “Each of the millwork-clad ceiling panels that conceal the HVAC ductwork, lighting systems, and rigging weigh between 300-400 lbs. and had to be carefully hoisted in place by two scissor lifts. A sliding wood screen conceals a sliding NanaWall. In the summer, Tanglewood can retract both systems to have open air-seating for performances.”

The new Linde Center for Music and Learning is a dynamic addition to Tanglewood’s campus—and a source of pride for Consigli—demonstrating the quality craftsmanship, schedule certainty and innovative approaches that distinguish the company as ENR New England’s 2019 Contractor of the Year.

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Some of the most challenging elements of getting performing arts spaces just right are keeping sound where it’s supposed to be—and not letting it travel anywhere else, the craftsmanship required to meet high levels of architectural detail, and team communication!

When building a performing arts space – things to consider for successful projects include:

Utilizing Building Elements to Keep Sound Where It Belongs
In buildings that house performing spaces where there can be a number of different adjacent uses, it’s essential to keep sound where it belongs. There are a number of measures that can be taken to achieve a high STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating, which designates a material’s ability to resist airborne sound transfer, such as multi-layer floors, preventing vibration, sealing all possible acoustic penetrations, isolating walls, and reflective ceilings.

In addition to keeping the sound of music where it’s intended, reducing potentially distracting noise from mechanical systems is also important. Sound dampening, acoustical insulation can be used inside and out on mechanical systems. Oversize ductwork allows for slower airflow and results in a quieter system. MEP/FPs can be isolated from the building structure using vibration isolation hangers and neoprene waffle pads.

When working on Wellesley College’s Pendleton Hall on a renovation and addition, the millwork in the salon and rehearsal hall was used both for its aesthetics and acoustic purposes: it has a layer of insulation, acoustic panels, and a layer of wood slats. The slats in the walls allowed exhaust air to pass through this millwork system to keep the volume at desired levels in the space, while still providing comfort and humidity control.

Paying Close Attention to Architectural Details
Performing spaces demand a high level of customization, detail, and quality. Using 3D modeling and mockups in the field (see our Emerson Colonial Theatre renovation) ensures our builder’s ability to meet these expectations, as does fully understanding the architect’s design intent and staffing our projects with the right craftsman to carry out their vision. Some specific examples from our recent experience include:

Modeling
To ensure the complex mechanical systems would fit within the space while working on Yale’s Adams Center for Musical Art, our builders performed a laser scan of the existing building and then electronically added pieces of the mechanical system into the job. That study resulted in adjusting the ceiling height to better accommodate the mechanical systems.

On Wellesley’s Pendleton Hall, the project’s predominant building material was concrete because of its acoustic properties. However, the design called for the concrete treatment to look like wood, complete with shadow lines. It was important to find the right tone and texture, so our team custom-made the concrete in batches and created “tombstone” samples to ensure each batch blended seamlessly and met the architect’s goals.

Craftmanship
Similarly, Wellesley’s Pendelton Hall project had a number of linear elements that required careful attention by our team. The architect wanted to ensure that anywhere someone looked inside the building, the linear properties converged properly. From the lights to the soffits, to the wall mullions, all had to be perfectly aligned on the proper horizontal or vertical plane to create the desired aesthetic. Our expert team of craftsman took the time to understand the desired outcome and delivered.

Team Coordination & Co-Location
Coordination between the design and engineering team and all construction trades requires patience and commitment on intricate construction projects.  A construction management tool, co-location— establishing a shared physical location where all members of a construction project team collaborate– helps ensure team communication across all trade specialties and creates a forum for discussing careful planning and coordination. Seemingly a simple concept, it’s critical in our highly detailed projects and only truly works with foresight and commitment. As an example; to ensure all of the trades were closely coordinated during our work on Yale’s Adams Center for Musical Arts, our team co-located twice a week with the design, engineering team, and subcontractors.

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“The opportunity to have a lasting impact on one of the world’s most influential institutions of culture is a humbling experience and a true honor,” said Anthony Consigli, CEO of Consigli. “We’re looking forward to building a state-of-the-art space for the entire Tanglewood community to enjoy for generations to come.”

“Tanglewood’s new building complex represents a major milestone for the BSO as it furthers its commitment to the Tanglewood Music Center by providing a new state-of-the-art facility to match the extraordinary level of talent exhibited by the Fellows each summer,” said Mark Volpe, Managing Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. “In addition, the Tanglewood Learning Institute will introduce an exciting new venture by offering patrons an entirely new paradigm of education and enrichment programs, sure to expand the reach of the festival and bring welcome newcomers to the BSO’s famed summer home.”

Scheduled to open in summer 2019, the new building complex will be the largest building project at Tanglewood since the construction of Ozawa Hall built in 1994.

The largest building of Tanglewood’s new four-building complex will provide state-of-the-art space for rehearsal and concert activities accommodating an audience of up to 200; multi-media education and lecture programs with a seating capacity of up to 300; and a wide variety of social and dining events.

Additional buildings include a 150-seat dining cafe, designed in part as a hub for visitors, TMC Fellows and Faculty, and TLI participants, and two smaller studios providing additional space for rehearsal, performance, educational, and social activities. Located on the Tanglewood grounds in close proximity to Ozawa Hall, this new highly sustainable building complex will be climate-controlled to accommodate use by the Berkshire community in the off-season.

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