Grand Overture

Findorff gives the performance of a lifetime

By Dustin Block

After the successful first-phase opening of the Overture Center for the Arts in downtown Madison in 2004, J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. took a quick bow and went back to work.

While phase one was entirely new construction, the second phase required renovating three buildings and combining them into a coherent arts center supporting three separate organizations. Add on a tight downtown location with no on-site staging area and the high-profile nature of the project, including a $50 million donation to pay for the new building, and Findorff had a major construction challenge.

"We performed a lot of the work ourselves to create the project within the time frame the owners wanted," said Larry Thomas, Findorff's senior project manager.

Construction began in September 2004 - the same month phase one opened - and was completed in time for the April 20, 2006, grand opening.

The project combined structural elements from the Capital Theater built in the 1920s, the Montgomery Ward department store built in the 1940s and the Madison Civic Center built in the 1980s. It was designed to include a new and improved Capital Theater, the Playhouse Theater and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. The building also has a rooftop garden and café.

	Project Name: Overture Center for the Arts - Phase 2 Location: Madison Submitting Company: J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., Madison General Contractor: J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. Project Leader: Larry Thomas, Findorff's senior project manager Architects: Flad & Associates, Madison, executive architect; Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, New Haven, Conn., design architect; Potter Lawson Inc., Madison, executive architect Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti Inc., Chicago Owner: Overture Development Corp., Madison Project Cost: $50 million Project Size: 165,000 square feet Start Date: September 2004 Completion Date: April 2006

The Capitol Theater was converted into a mid-size performance venue for ensemble groups. Several technical, electrical and design improvements were needed to modernize the space, but Findorff's renovation retained many of the structure's historic details, including the Grand Barton organ and original light fixtures.

The Playhouse was enlarged from 330 to 350 seats surrounding a stage on three sides. It was built to serve Madison Repertory Theatre performances.

Anchoring the west end of Overture, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art involved the construction of several galleries, including one dedicated to the museum's permanent collection and another devoted to film and video work. Other areas of the facility include a lecture hall, study center, and rooftop sculpture terrace and cafe.

All of the work on phase two was done without closing State Street in the heart of downtown Madison.

"It was a congested area; we had no lay-down space," Thomas said. "We were required to do a lot of one-time deliveries and work at the site."

And when it was done, Thomas said, his pride over the finished project was backed up by a pretty credible source when it comes to evaluating performance spaces.

"Tony Bennett was in," Thomas said. "Off stage, he told us it was the finest acoustical instrument he's performed in. He compared it to Carnegie Hall.

"Those are the people who really make it happen. I just waived the baton; they had to play the music."