Gotama Building Engineers was proud to be the MEP engineering firm to design the complete renovation of the historic Hollywood Bowl. The semi-circular shell construct, originally built in 1929, was beloved by critics and audiences, however, the Bowl was too small to seat the entire Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra onstage, and precluded the booking of new and exciting entertainment because of its antiquated features and amenities, so the County of Los Angeles commissioned the renovation of this local landmark.

Phase 1 of the project, begun in October 2000, concentrated on the renovation of the below-stage areas. Among the most important improvements to the Bowl was the enormous effort in upgrading electrical systems and acoustics.  To that end, it was imperative to design a new central plant and air-cooled chiller system.  To best evaluate the plumbing for new private dressing rooms, the performers’ green room and restroom facilities, the design team used a video pipe inspection system, which deployed a camera on a video push cable to observe the conditions of the underground waterline and wasteline from within.  As Phase 1 developed into Phase 2, the design team specifically sized the below-ground facilities to match the above-ground offices and facilities, thereby making their systemic connection much easier through the construction process.

Phase 2 began with the demolition of the existing shell, and the complete redesign of the Bowl itself.  3-D renderings of the electrical and structural systems were created in order to best conceal the building systems throughout the recreated shell that is now 30% larger than before.  In addition to supplying mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection for the new facilities, additional piping was “stubbed out” to provide for future concessions and expansion.

This project was completed on-time and on-budget, in a phased construction that allowed the Bowl to remain fully operational during the summer concert series and minimally during the winter months.  The Hollywood Bowl Historic Renovation was the winner of the prestigious Civic Award from the Los Angeles Business Council at the 35th Annual Los Angeles Architectural Awards in 2005.
 
Client:County of Los Angeles/ Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Architect:Hodgetts + Fung (Design Architects)/Gruen Associates (Executive Architects)
Location:Hollywood, CA
Completion:2004