Portsmouth, NH – Officially opened this past April, the Music Hall Loft, located on Congress Street in downtown Portsmouth, constituted the continuation of a two-year long effort that began with the rehabilitation of the late 19th century across-the-street landmark.
As with the Music Hall itself, the construction of the Loft was conducted with the goal of helping jumpstart a cultural renaissance on the Seacoast.
And, as with the much-lauded renovation of the Music Hall itself, TMS architects – a firm known for its dual commitment to style and green ingenuity – served as the structural linchpin behind it all.
Training a well-honed green eye on a space in need of more than a little tender love and care, TMS succeeded in transforming the abandoned loft in ways that were equally as cost effective: In lieu of costly replacement, the concrete floors were instead exposed and polished; for the expansive bar, aluminum cans were cut down and repurposed as a counter to house loft libations.
Meanwhile, Paperstone – a hardened resin made from 50-100% recycled materials – serves as rails and shelving throughout the 124-seat auxiliary theater, which has hosted everything from independent films to cabaret to NPR author readings.
Perhaps most impressive, the space utilizes a state-of-the-art energy recovery system, which – aided by super-efficient insulation – takes heated air that would otherwise escape wasted, and reheats it, helping to curb significantly the Loft’s fossil fuel use.
As with earlier phases of the Music Hall renovation, TMS was tasked with devising ways to help curb the building’s energy use as creative as they were attractive.
“Typically we’ll start with an efficient layout – making sure that we meet code – and then build off of that,” explained Nicole Martineau, a ten-year veteran of TMS. “Once we get the feeling from a space and what it requires, then we integrate the unique touches.”
With regards to the Loft space, Martineau specifically cited an initial lack of storage as one of the issues TMS had to effectively tackle. However, as per usual, the team found a way to make it work. “We eventually found extra storage under the theater seats,” she said.
Indeed, while the Loft – a years-abandoned space located in the Worth Building on Congress Street – constituted the sixth phase of the Music Hall’s overhaul, Executive Director Patricia Lynch sees the fashionable auxiliary space as an ideal compliment to its more expansive forbearer.
“The Music Hall has had a long relationship with TMS, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed working through the entire scope of preservation efforts,” Lynch noted. “One thing we really appreciated and admired was TMS’s attention to energy savings and their commitment to using recycled materials… Their forward-looking stance regarding sustainability was incredibly important.”
Still, the firm’s work is far from over; the Music Hall plans on again commissioning the Portsmouth-based TMS when the theater begins renovation of its main stage sometime early next spring.
Jim Cavan -is director of media and public relations at Green Alliance
TMS Gives New Music Hall Loft Green Feel by Jim Cavan
Portsmouth, NH – Officially opened this past April, the Music Hall Loft, located on Congress Street in downtown Portsmouth
