Jones Hall (Houston, Texas)

 theatre, concert hall, 1966_construction, performing arts

The Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts is a theater and concert venue located in the Theater District of downtown Houston, Texas. Owned by the city of Houston and operated by the Houston First Corporation, Jones Hall serves as the permanent home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

Designed by the Houston-based architectural firm Caudill Rowlett Scott and officially completed on October 2, 1966 at a cost of $7.4 million, it is named in honor of Jesse H. Jones, a prominent Houston businessman and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

The inside of the concert hall itself is unique in that the ceiling is comprised of 800 hexagonal segments which can be raised or lowered to change the acoustics of the hall. The segments can actually be lowered enough to close the upper balcony, so the seating capacity can fluctuate from about 2,300 with the balcony covered, to 2,908 with the balcony open.

www.houstontx.gov/joneshall/