Hale Centre Theatre Unique Roof Design Keeps Water, Noise Out
The roof above the new, $80 million Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, Utah uses acoustical smoke vents to limit noise and water.
Baseball fans at Shea Stadium, the former home of the New York Mets, used to cover their ears with their hands when jets departing and returning to nearby LaGuardia Airport rumbled overhead. While not as noticeable at their new stadium, Citi Field, the team’s fans still hear the roar of aircraft at home games. Loud airplanes directly can reduce viewing pleasure of anyone, but especially those attending theater performances.
Architects at Beecher Walker in Holladay, Utah faced that roofing challenge and more in the construction of the $80 million Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, Utah. Besides being positioned directly in the flight path of a nearby airport, the theater sits adjacent to Interstate 15, where 260,000 vehicles pass daily. “The sound issues were pretty intense,’’ architect Lyle Beecher said. “We knew it was going to be an issue.”