FDA designed concert and stage lighting control systems for this unusual 2,750-seat concert hall in-the-round. Completed in 1978, and about to be dramatically reconfigured with a new design team including FDA, Diamond Schmitt Associates, and akustiks, Boettcher Hall is a lovely, lively, and informal space for music and opera, with a feeling of intimacy surprising in so large a room. Eighty percent of the seats are within 65 feet of the stage, and no member of the audience is seated more than 85 feet away. The stage is large enough for 120 musicians.

Although intended specifically for the Denver Symphony and other concert music presentations more easily presented in the round, Boettcher Hall’s stage and lighting systems were carefully designed to allow the Denver Opera to stage annual productions. Particularly important for the Opera’s requirements were an orchestra pit, floor traps, a stage lighting system and followspot positions, all designed by FDA.