Building for the Future

The iconic barrel-vaulted roof of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts contains 5,808 individual windows and 19 miles of caulk. Photo by Casey Rodger

By Karen Gross

You may not realize that The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts is the steward of not one, not two, but three landmark performance venues on Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. There’s the Academy of Music (dazzling patrons since 1857), the Miller Theater (opened in 1918 and previously known as the Merriam), and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (opened in 2001). 

Take a moment and imagine the scope of keeping each of these buildings humming. Consider all of the distinctive spaces within the walls; not only the stages where world-class performances take place, but the lobbies, box offices, and back-of-house areas like green rooms, practice studios, and offices. There are also the decidedly less glamorous yet functional spaces, like stairways, elevators, and restrooms. Then there are the exteriors: roofs, facades, signage, and more. 

As the custodian of these three iconic buildings, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts is responsible for their care, all while welcoming artists and audiences continuously through the doors. It’s a remarkably complex assignment, one that takes collective expertise and consistent, carefully timed effort. 

“These are massive civic assets, and we need to make sure that we leave them better off for the next generation and all future generations,” said Matías Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts. “It’s about making sure that there is great art on all the stages across our three buildings, but also that the buildings are beautiful, clean, and welcoming, and there is a well-lit and acoustically pleasing environment. And also that the roof doesn’t leak, the elevators work, and the drains don’t get blocked. This all takes a lot of money, time, and energy, and that is what we’re really focusing on now.”

Spearheading much of this work is Jennifer Stark, director of capital projects. An architect by trade, with a graduate degree in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania, Stark collaborates with an in-house team and other pros tasked with the three buildings’ upkeep and upgrades. She described a phased approach to their work, informed by each project’s needs, design, and pricing, and then evaluating how to proceed based on funding availability and production schedules. 

Creativity, perseverance, and patience are essential to the process. “Often, we have to adjust a project duration because the construction schedule must allow for performances and events to proceed,” Stark explained, adding, “You start with the grand idea. And sometimes you get derailed a little bit, or you have to think outside the box to make it happen.”

19 Miles of Caulk

The Kimmel Center, approaching its 25th birthday in 2026, remains a magnificent yet ever-evolving cultural hub. In August, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts received a $5 million capital grant from the William Penn Foundation to continue transforming Commonwealth Plaza into a more inviting, accessible environment—“Philadelphia’s living room,” as Tarnopolsky envisions it. The funds will help to support a wide range of improvements to the Plaza’s acoustics, indoor climate control, and overall vibrancy as a gathering place to experience the arts. 

Of course, the Kimmel Center building is most famous for its barrel-vaulted roof, with arches that gleam high above Broad Street thanks to 5,808 individual windows. This award-winning architectural gem requires serious maintenance. “We’ve got 100,000 linear feet of caulk in our barrel vault, which is over 19 miles of caulk. And it all needs to be addressed, but at different times, because some of it cracks early and some hangs on for a while,” Stark noted.   

There is a need for investment to help maintain the Kimmel’s renowned roof, including the funding of a custom-made caulk inspection “roving unit” that would traverse the roof’s ribs to perform the necessary caulk maintenance and glass examination.

Stark and her team have recently been busy renovating and refreshing some of the Kimmel’s front- and back-of-house facilities, including the Founders Lounge and the Green Room of Marian Anderson Hall; next up are the Hall’s dressing rooms, practice rooms, and back corridor behind the stage. These upgrades are strategically divided into three phases over three years to lessen the budgetary impact, and they are also timed to occur when the Orchestra is on tour or on a break.

From Signage to Seating

A few steps north of the Kimmel Center, work is also underway at the Miller Theater, which is nestled in between Spruce and Locust streets. Originally built by the Shubert Organization, the Miller is Philadelphia’s oldest theater for touring Broadway shows. In 2022, it was renamed in honor of Alan B. and Jill Miller and their family, who have generously supported much-needed renovations. One of the most exciting developments is a new marquee that does justice to the theater’s sparkling history, while also helping with wayfinding along the Avenue. 

Additionally, the building’s exterior paint scheme has shifted from a rosy tone to more contemporary cream and charcoal shades. Windows and offices are being refurbished so staff can move in, instead of renting nearby space.

While the theater’s grandeur remains, it is showing signs of age. There’s an ongoing need for investment in decorative painting and ornamental plaster repair; in fact, upon close inspection, chunks of plaster are missing from the ceiling. “Water infiltration was a big cause of the deterioration,” Stark explained. “The roof is now being replaced so the water problem is gone. Now it’s safe to do the repair work.” 

The theater’s seats—while ornate and largely original—don’t quite fit “the new dimensions of the modern person,” as Stark delicately puts it. It’s getting harder to source the seats’ exact original parts. And there are important accessibility concerns that need addressing. 

A Green Room Gets New Life—And Art

The Academy of Music was built from 1855 to 1857 and stands as the oldest opera house in the country still being used for its original purpose. Home of The Philadelphia Orchestra for its first 100 years, and now of Opera Philadelphia and Philadelphia Ballet, the Academy also regularly welcomes top Broadway shows, musicians, and comedians. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962.

Over the last two decades, the Academy has undergone important renovations, including a stunning restoration of its Ballroom, funded by Leonore Annenberg. In 2023, the restoration of its exterior balcony earned a Preservation Achievement Award from the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

Another exciting recent project involved a unique cross-disciplinary collaboration among Philadelphia arts institutions, experts, and attorney John McFadden. A Trustee since 2005, and a self-professed “music fan forever,” McFadden spurred an astonishing update to the Academy’s neglected Green Room. “During the first Great Stages Gala in 2023, I had a look at the Green Room and said, ‘We can’t have this. It’s embarrassing,” he recalled. 

McFadden helped orchestrate a network of key players, including William Valerio, director and CEO of the Woodmere Art Museum. Today, with a half dozen paintings illuminated by new track lighting, the Green Room has the air of an intimate gallery. Two of its paintings—portraits of divas Marietta Gazzaniga and Emma Nevada—were carefully brought back to life, revealing vividly hued costumes underneath layers of dirt. Valerio also loaned two portraits by pioneering Philadelphia painter Violet Oakley, from the Woodmere’s extensive collection of her works. One features violinist Albert Spalding, renowned for performing the premiere of Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto in 1941, with Eugene Ormandy conducting the Orchestra. The other features cellist Beatrice Harrison, who gave the United States premiere of Frederick Delius’s Cello Concerto in 1927 with the Orchestra, led by Fritz Reiner. Both events took place at the Academy.

“I’m thrilled that the Green Room has become an exhibition about the history of the Academy and some of the wonderful and important musicians who graced the stage,” Valerio noted. 

The effort to maintain and enhance the Academy, along with the Miller Theater and Kimmel Center, will continue to require extraordinary commitment from an array of partners, creative leaders, funders, and supporters. As Tarnopolsky said, “We’re trying to reignite the public-private partnership that led to the building of the iconic Kimmel Center.” It’s a crucial moment for all hands on deck. 

“There are a lot of changes happening, and there is a moment of great opportunity to welcome more and more people downtown: coming back to work, living, and really taking advantage of the world-class cultural offerings on both sides of Broad Street,” Tarnopolsky continued. “Our spaces would be nothing without the art, but we need to take care of them. We need to be very proud as Philadelphians that we have not only these cultural organizations, but also these cultural buildings.”

Karen Gross is a writer, singer, communications consultant, and the host of the She Rocked It podcast. She has written for various Philadelphia publications and served as the editor in chief of Where magazine in Philadelphia for over three years.