After decades of rehearsing in a series of church basements, empty storefronts and unused corporate facilities, Opera Grand Rapids finally has a permanent rehearsal hall. The 14,000-squarefoot Betty Van Andel Opera Center in Grand Rapids, Mich., houses all of the company’s operations apart from its public performances, which continues at the nearby DeVos Performance Hall. The venue design includes twostory windows facing the street so rehearsals can be observed by passers-by. Although the new facility, dubbed “The Betty,” is not used for full-scale performances, it provides space for children’s programs, master classes, small recitals and receptions.
The project features 2,000 square feet of Holland, Mich.-based Dri-Design’s 0.080-aluminum panels finished in Bone White and Burnt Peanut Red. Beta Design, Grand Rapids, was the architect.
Dri-Design, www.dri-design.com, Circle #52
