Benson Great Hall, Bethel College, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

Benson Great Hall is at the heart of Bethel University's Community Life Center (CLC) which serves the community of undergraduate, graduate, seminary, and adult education students. The CLC first opened its doors in the fall of 1994.

The Donald E. Benson Great Hall, an 1800-seat auditorium/chapel serves as a showcase for the arts, in addition to accommodating worship services, convocations, and celebrations. The dual function of the Benson Great Hall has been much acclaimed and the Hall sees daily use. In addition to its more prevalent uses, CLC also provides space for conferences, seminars, meetings, and receptions.

The unique acoustic design makes the Benson Great Hall one of the best performance centers in the upper Midwestern United States. To make the venue as flexible as possible for a variety of audience sizes and program needs, the design includes a retractable lower stage that puts the speaker closer to the audience. Seating arrangements and special lighting configurations will reduce the size of the concert hall for smaller groups.

Artec provided Design and Planning services covering Auditorium Design, Facility Planning, Specialized Performance Equipment Systems Design and Noise & Vibration Control consulting. The architect for Benson Great Hall was Sasaki Associates / Boston, MA.