Masonry Magazine September 1974 Page. 10
The Grand Ole Opry
Brick walls, pavers and planters as well as board form-finished concrete for the roof beams help to create a warm, friendly atmosphere for Oprygoers. The brick were manufactured by Chattahoochee Brick Co. of Atlanta.
"Our goal was to provide the Grand Ole Opry with the latest audio/visual equipment in the most flexible and efficient manner possible," Becket concluded.
From many months of researching and planning evolved a 147,270-square-foot building deliberately scaled down to a human level and visually relating to the smaller buildings located in Opry Plaza, situated between the Opry House and Opryland, U.S.A.
Placement of the Opry House on its 12-acre site was accomplished judiciously to preserve as much of the 369-acre wooded area as possible. Saved from the bulldozers were most of the site's oaks, elms, and black gum trees, some of which were 50 feet tall.
To create a warm, rustic appearance for the Opry House, the Becket firm selected brick for the walls; placed rusticated wood panels, handrails and trim at the entrances and feature points; designated board form-finished concrete for the roof beams and columns, and designed a sloping, concrete-shingled tile roof.
On the exterior, the roof slopes downward from the near-square auditorium portion of the building in three directions, forming covered porch-like entrances at the front and two sides. Each of the entrances are on two levels; this allows Oprygoers to enter the second level (balcony level) by stairways directly from the exterior and to avoid congestion. "Since two shows are often scheduled on the same night, with little time in between, it was necessary to effectively and efficiently separate the 8,800 people arriving or leaving at the same time," architect Becket said.
Glass was employed under the roof overhangs to create a visual relationship between the exterior and interior. To make this transition a continuous experience for Oprygoers as they enter the building, hexagonal brick pavers carry from the Opry Plaza through a spacious front lobby and into the massive Opry broadcasting studio.
Heavy wood slab doors, with large metal straps and exposed bolt fastenings, complement the 13,500-square-foot lobby's hexagonal brick floors and walls. Rusticated wood trim accentuates the decor. On two interior stairways leading to the balcony level, brick and concrete steps blend with heavy timbered balustrades.
Exposed filament bulbs-set in large, circular fixtures hanging from the lobby's 21-foot-high, slanted, wood-beamed ceiling-help to recreate the atmosphere of historic Nashville. Both the ground floor and balcony lobbies feature antique furnishings and brightly-colored posters of famous Opry performers of the past and present.
Inside the 45,000-square-foot, air-conditioned auditorium, the balcony seats approximately 2,400 persons and the orchestra 2,000 on contoured, wooden "pews" upholstered in persimmon "carpeting" to facilitate acoustics. The pews recall the days of the old Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium, which was converted from a gospel taernacle. The new pews, which seat up to 14 people, are far more comfortable.
Balcony seating partially wraps around a "thrust" stage while orchestra seating is fan-shaped. This dual arrangement provides perfect sight-lines from all seats; there are no intervening columns between the audience and the stage.
Composd of maple hardwood, the stage measures 110 feet wide and 68 feet deep. The depth may be increased to 81 feet by means of a 13-foot hydraulically-operated lift which rises out of the orchestra section with the touch of a button.
Suspended above the front center of the stage is a massive, specially-designed space frame. The frame contains both stage and house lighting fixtures, adjustable to varying heights; acoustical panels; catwalks; speakers; and air-conditioning diffusers. The frame is a bright persimmon while the elements on it are either black or blue.
"While most theaters attempt to conceal overhead mechanical and electrical elements, we decided to honestly express them to the audience," Becket said. "We wanted Oprygoers to realize that they are actually in a radio and television production studio and a vital part of the performance. Without audience participation, there is no Opry."
The bright persimmon color of the space frame and pew upholstery is reflected in the stage curtains which open horizontally or vertically. The curtains also can pull back to create a draped effect, adjusting to any dimension of stage opening.
Hexagonal pavers on the exterior are repeated in the interior (upper right) to create a feeling of continuity.