Construction Photo Gallery

Groundbreaking for the Kauffman Center took place on October 6, 2006. Construction began that same year and we regularly document progress through photos.

Albums below contain some special shots, like those taken from Webster House each month, as well as occasional aerial photos. You'll also find quarterly albums of construction activity, arranged in reverse chronological order.

See a short animation of the construction process.

View from Webster House
Monthly views of the construction site from Webster House by David Riffel.  Riffel climbs to the top of the Webster House tower each month to capture broad changes across the site.

Aerial photos
Several times a year we get the chance to take aerial shots. This is a bird’s-eye view that puts the Kauffman Center in perspective with other downtown developments.

Construction October - November 2009         The Kauffman Center reaches its ultimate height by the end of 2009 with the completion of the structural steel.  Exterior finishing work is ongoing and soon the glass curtain wall installation will begin.

Construction April - June 2009                              As the distinctive arches of the Kauffman Center become outlined by steel scaffolding above the two halls, the back of house areas are also shaping up.  Dozens of back-of-house production rooms are now being finished out.   

Construction January - March 2009                     The structural steel work begins and the outline of the curved outer building designed by architect Moshe Safdie begins to take shape.  Soon we will have a real sense of how the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will add to the downtown skyline.

Construction October - December 2008 
Concrete walls in both halls rise to near full height.  The lobby floor is poured and giant "embeds" are in place to anchor the 27 steel cables that will hold the glass walls of the lobby together.  Interior work in mechanical rooms moves forward and critical equipment begins to be installed.  The garage site is readied to hold the steel that will soon come on site for the steel infrastructure.

Construction July - September 2008                Walls on both halls begin to rise above the lobby level.  Giant "embeds" are placed and will eventually hold the cable structure for the building.  Equipment is added to mechanical rooms.

Construction April - June 2008 
Seating areas in both halls take shape. Concrete is poured for sections of the Grand Lobby. The stage tower, which will hold lighting, rigging and equipment needed in the theater, becomes even more prominent.

Construction January – March 2008
Walls begin to go up around the stage area in the theater and the footprints of both halls are clearly visible from above.

Construction October – December 2007
The orchestra pit for the theater takes shape. Decking goes in where Grand Lobby and central hall flooring will soon be poured.

Construction July – September 2007
Foundation footings and walls take shape.  Work on mechanical rooms takes place.

Construction April – June 2007
Excavating for foundation and footing work moves forward quickly. Concrete begins to be poured for the Helzberg Hall and the Muriel Kauffman Theatre footings and foundations. The north tower crane is put in place.

Construction of a Tower Crane
The Kauffman Center site has two tower cranes at work.  This album shows the assembly of the northern crane which sits at the corner of 16th and Central streets.

Construction January – March 2007
Earthmovers move in to begin clearing and readying the site. 

Construction October – December 2006
Groundbreaking took place on October 6, 2006 and preliminary work at the site began.