St Louis, MO

The Muny is a large, open-air amphitheater located in the heart of St. Louis. With an 11,000-seat capacity, it stands as the largest outdoor theatre in the US enduring a 100-year history from its humble beginnings as a grassy plane situated between two oak trees.

To build on this history and support an increased range of productions and shows, The Muny commissioned H3 to help with the venue’s renewal. The reconstruction includes designing a new stage, renovating front row seating for improved sitelines, and creating new back-of-house and storage spaces within structures flanking either side of the stage newly constructed to four stories in height. Supporting a green room, sound room, and storage for lighting, props, and mechanicals, the glass fiber-reinforced concrete shell-like paneling covering the structures creates a surface for the play of light shows. Changes also include resolving the existing orchestra pit, originally exposed to the outdoor elements and repositioned under the stage.

CLIENT: The Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis
COMPLETION: 2021
SIZE: 17,130 square feet (stage and sitework, 10,000 square feet)
COST: $19.4 million