Downtown Amarillo is home to a handful of iconic buildings that have shaped the unique visual character of the city. From the sharp modern angles of Amarillo National Bank Plaza Two, to the historic Santa Fe building with its Gothic Revival details, Amarillo’s downtown has a distinct identity that is unlike most cities of its size. One particular building, however, stands out among the office towers and hotels of the central business district, the Amarillo Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. With its fluid, curved roofline and warm sandstone facade, as well as the top-tier acoustics and performance amenities inside, the GNC is a truly unique gem of design that marries form and function in a masterstroke of concert hall construction.
Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17, The Globe-News Center will celebrate their 20th anniversary with concerts featuring performances by world-renowned guitarist JIJI and the Amarillo Symphony. I got the chance to take a short tour of the facility and speak with Bo Fowlkes, General Manager of the Amarillo Civic Center Complex, about the history of the center, its construction, and some of the special sauce that gives the space its world-class acoustics.
“The whole concept of the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts was spearheaded by benefactor and local philanthropist Carolyn Bush Emeny,” Fowlkes said. “In August of 1999, she put together a collective of other individuals that were high in the arts, and they started a fundraising campaign to build this facility and highlight our arts groups. It all came to fruition and opened in January of 2006 at the cost of roughly $31 million, and it was turned around and deeded over to the city for us to manage and operate.”
Perhaps the defining feature of the performance space is the careful attention paid to the acoustics. “This newer construction — although it's celebrating its 20th anniversary — had an acoustician and theatrical consultants involved in the design and development. It was built with the sound-lock hallways around the house, separating the house from the lobby area. It has acoustic cushions and battens up above the shell in the house that can either be brought in or out.” Fowlkes continued to explain that “the very first event that was held here was a ‘tuning party.’ The management brought in different types of musical performers … they would adjust the drapes and the battens to tune the facility based on the type of performance. A symphony performance is going to have totally different needs than an opera and concerts. It's got a lot of those features built into it that makes it really accessible and tunable to the different types of events.”
Before even entering the performance hall, guests and performers alike are treated to a plethora of visual elements that reflect the natural landscapes of the Panhandle. “The shape of the building, the Colorado limestone on the walls, the colors, and some of the design features inside the house and the lobby, mirrors some features of the Palo Duro Canyon Canyon,” Fowlkes said.
Over the course of its 20 year history, the GNC has seen a wide variety of uses. Fowleks talked about some of the people and groups to make use of the space, including one group that many would not expect. “Of course, the Amarillo Symphony, Lone Star Ballet, and Amarillo Opera have performed here,” Fowlkes said. “Over the last 20 years, we have seen a lot of activity. The first year that this facility was open, we hosted Brooks and Dunn. The comedian Gabriel Iglesias did two sold out performances here. We've also had the Texas Supreme Court hold a session here at one point.
“I think it will continue to be the preeminent performance space in the panhandle area.” Fowlkes said on his hopes for the future of the facility. “I think we compete quite well with other structures like the Buddy Holly Hall down in Lubbock, but this space is unique to the panhandle of Texas. I think when people leave here, they can easily identify with the design and the colors and the uniqueness of this to our area, and I think it will continue to thrive and stay quite busy. We look forward to all of the future acts that will perform here.”
The Globe-News Center’s 20th anniversary celebration happens on Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17 beginning at 7:30 pm central. More information on the concert can be found on the Amarillo Symphony’s website.
If you have an upcoming event you would like the public to be aware of, we encourage you to check out our community calendar! It's the place to visit for up-to-date information on what's coming up all across the High Plains!
