Occupying two square blocks in downtown Omaha, the Holland Performing Arts Center includes a 2,000-seat concert hall, 400-seat recital hall, a street-level lobby and covered arrival plaza, an upper-level main lobby, and a semi-enclosed outdoor performance and event garden.
The concert hall, constructed using a classical ‘shoebox’ configuration, is essentially a building within a building separated by a two-inch acoustical isolation joint that extends from the foundation through the roof. The exterior is covered in stone and capped by an illuminated glass lantern—one of only two in the world—which allows natural light to filter in during the day. A zero-void specification required crews to ensure there were no hollow spots behind any finished surface.
Using the design-assist delivery method, Kiewit Construction Co., a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, completed the project in October 2005, just 30 months after notice to proceed. Additionally, the project earned membership in the prestigious ‘Star’ Voluntary Compliance Program of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.