When Rockport Music re-opened its Shalin Liu Performance Center with a sold-out show last week, the audience and musicians walked into newly renovated spaces.
While the main concert hall was untouched, this “refresh” was designed to bring the hospitality spaces up to the same level as the central performance space at 37 Main St., which opened 16 years ago.
The budget was roughly $1.5 million, with work completed in just over nine weeks. The performance center closed Dec. 22 and reopened with Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer on Feb. 27.
“The board smartly invested the resources into building this spectacular hall,” said Rockport Music President & CEO Suzanne Wilson. “This refresh was designed to elevate the other spaces.”
When Wilson came to Rockport Music nearly two years ago, she learned that the carpet on the third-floor needed replacing, which led to review of other areas that needed updating.
“We needed to invest in the artist and audience experience,” Wilson said. “We all recognized that it was the hospitality spaces that needed attention.”
The general contractor, along with eight subcontractors, jumped into gutting and preparing to renovate the downstairs bathrooms and the Green Room, the space dedicated for the musicians as a waiting and lounge area as they prepare to take the stage. Both these areas are on the lower level.
The work did not go unnoticed by Fischer, who ended her show with the Rolling Stones song “Gimme Shelter,” applauding the renovated Green Room, in addition to the performance hall.
“This place looks amazing,” she said, adding that the Green Room was elegant and the new kitchen was nicer than her own. The Green Room renovation included the addition of a private shower, make-up and changing area, and a welcoming space where artists can “relax and recharge.”
On an overall note, Fischer applauded the spirit of the venue.
“The space is beautiful and vibrant and you can feel the energy,” she told the sold-out crowd.
Before the concert began, Wilson told the patrons that it was important to have a memorable performance to re-open the hall, and it was an honor to have Fischer perform for the official reopening.
Upstairs on the third-floor, the lounge and reception space with its expansive ocean views was refreshed with a new color palette, upscale finishes and a custom-designed walnut bar, where previously refreshments were served from a tablecloth-covered table.
The third-floor space is used for many gatherings, including pre-concert refreshments, cabaret-style music events, corporate events, weddings, celebrations and other community gatherings. Additionally, a hardwood floor was added to part of the third floor so that the Steinway piano has a home for upstairs performances.
“We hope to activate this space for more performances,” Wilson said. “This space was created to bring together community and this redesign will encourage that.”
The third-floor refresh has a cloud-inspired concept, reflected in the carpeting and the notion of letting the panoramic views take center stage. The lighting is more subtle and no longer do lamps hang from the ceiling.
In the past year, Shalin Liu hosted 175 public concerts and events, in addition to private rentals and corporate events.
In other parts of the building, the color palette was chosen to accentuate the theme of ocean and natural surroundings — a coastal chic.
The lobby is now painted Philipsburg Blue, described as a “grayish blue that conjures still waters at dusk,” and the staircases are a light gray.
The lower level patron bathrooms now sport a stylish look with new lighting, a stone countertop, and new partitions, all inspired by the colors of sand and seashells.
Wilson praised the work of Hacin Architects and contractor Corderman & Company for carrying out the vision of Rockport Music to enhance these spaces in a way that complemented the environment.
Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-675-2706, or gmccarthy@northofboston.com.