Glass walls 60 feet high front the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts ahead of you, which opened to the public in 2002 on the edge of the Houston Theater District. Up close you’ll first notice the 60-foot-high glass walls that give you framed views of Houston’s skyscrapers, Tranquility Park and Houston City Hall. The building bears the Hobby name in honor of former Texas lieutenant governor and Houston businessman William P. Hobby, Jr., whose family foundation donated the naming gift.
The center replaced the former Houston Music Hall and Sam Houston Coliseum, and was built by general contractor Lyda Swinerton to the designs of Robert A.M. Stern Architects, known here as RAMSA, and Morris Architects. RAMSA drew inspiration from legendary theater designers Herts & Tallant, who practiced in Manhattan during the early 20th century. Look for the major materials: limestone and brick, painted steel columns, a glazed curtain wall and a standing seam metal roof.
Inside are two theaters constructed specifically for theatre and musical performances; Sarofim Hall seats 2,650 and is acoustically designed for touring Broadway productions like Phantom Of The Opera, Les Misérables, Wicked and The Lion King. Notice that inside, Sarofim Hall seats 2,650 for touring Broadway hits like Wicked and The Lion King.