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In 1929, a similarly shaped shell was created by the architecture firm Elliott, Bowen and Walz. Other modifications were made over the years, but none could overcome the damage done to the site's natural acoustics by the mid-century intrusion of a major freeway.

Reborn Again

After several failed "quick fixes" throughout the latter part of the 20th century, Hodgetts + Fung were hired in 1998 to design an entirely new Hollywood Bowl. Their reputation for skillfully combining artistic and technical issues made them good candidates for the job.

"Our objective was to create a rare evening experience blending the glamour of a Hollywood premiere with the lush background of the Hollywood Hills," says firm principal Craig Hodgetts, AIA. "Generations of events and story lines have unfolded at the bowl. Our approach was to bring those stories back and to recapture the excitement and luminosity of the golden era."

Responding to demands of client and public sentiment, they maintained the image of the trademark cream-white shell but greatly enlarged it and the stage it surrounds. Flanking the arch are dramatic, stepped wings recalling the theater's 1920s forms. Three towers stand above the exterior shell, and support linear arrays of suspended speakers. Behind are new, long-needed backstage facilities.

Most dramatically, perhaps, the architects inserted a multipurpose canopy over the stage. The elliptical "halo" of aluminum and fiberglass serves as a catwalk and holds lighting and stage equipment. Portions of the canopy, which floats about 30 feet (9 meters) over the stage, are removable to accommodate shows with greater height needs.

The canopy also supports computer-controlled moveable louvers that reflect the sound as needed for particular performance types. Now, for the first time in decades, onstage musicians can hear each other.

Optical illusions help maintain the appearance of the shell's traditional conical shape. The cone was deemed unsuitable acoustically but had become integral with the familiar image. After careful analysis, the architects gave the shell the visual semblance of the original cone shape by positioning knife-thin baffles within the new box-shaped stage area.

The New Hollywood Bowl, facing an audience of up to 18,000, is ready once again to frame tomorrow's romantic memories.

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Architect: Hodgetts + Fung Design Associates
Executive Architect: Gruen Associates
Acoustician: Jaffe Holden Acoustics
Theater Consultant: Fisher Dachs Associates
Fabricators: MICE Creative; Projects, Inc, Total Structures, Proskenium

The Hollywood Bowl, 1922. Photo: Hollywood Bowl Museum The Hollywood Bowl, 1926. Photo: Hollywood Bowl Museum The Hollywood Bowl, 1927. Photo: Hollywood Bowl Museum The Hollywood Bowl, 1928. Photo: Bruce Torrence Historical Collection The Hollywood Bowl, 1970. Photo: Hollywood Bowl Museum New, enlarged stage, with acoustical canopy above, at the Hollywood Bowl. Photo: Lara Swimmer New Hollywood Bowl compared in size to 1928 shell. Image: Hodgetts + Fung Design and Architecture Multipurpose "halo" for acoustics and lighting. Image: Hodgetts + Fung Design and Architecture   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.