Folly Lobby Renovation - Day 1

Today is the day! We officially "broke ground" (More like the ceiling) in our Lobby and Shareholder's Room renovation. After over 3 years of fundraising, today's the day. Over the course of the next two months, we'll be sharing photos, videos, and updates regarding the construction. We'll share them here in our blog and on our social media channels as well.

Some Background...

In case you weren't aware, the Folly Theater underwent a short remodel in 2000. That remodel produced the current lobby and box office space we all know now. As the Folly has grown and seen an increase in traffic, we knew that we needed to readjust to accommodate larger crowds. Fundraising for this started in 2015 as a part of the Folly 2020 campaign. After a leading gift made by the William T. Kemper Foundation was received in efforts specific to this renovation, our dream started to take shape into a reality!

Current Lobby

[gallery link="none" size="large" ids="9331,9332,9333"] As the Folly has grown and seen an increase in traffic, we knew that we needed to readjust to accommodate larger crowds. Fundraising for this started in 2015 as a part of the Folly 2020 campaign. After a leading gift made by the William T. Kemper Foundation was received in efforts specific to this renovation, our dream started to take shape into a reality!

Renderings of new lobby space (Courtesy of Helix Architecture + Design)

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What's a Shareholder's Room?

The Shareholder's is a small reception space often used for meetings or pre-concert events. Many Folly patrons will know of it as the space they go to during intermission for the private reception of jazz concerts. The goal for the renovation of the Shareholder's room is to create a more open, lounge-style space that can be utilized to a larger extent by our patrons and rental clients.

Current Shareholder's room

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Renderings of NEW Shareholder's Room (Courtesy of Helix Architecture + Design)

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Day 1

Earlier we mentioned that today was the ceiling breaking for the start of the renovation... Here are some photos from the first day of construction! [gallery link="none" size="medium" ids="9342,9343,9344,9345,9346,9347,9348,9349"]

What's Next?

Over the course of two months, crews from McCownGordon Construction will work diligently on the lobby renovation while ensuring the historic part of the Folly Theater stays clean and untouched. In the meantime, Helix Architecture + Design are working with Folly Staff to finalize the accents and design touches on items like furnishings and technology. We will continue to keep you updated with blog posts and social media posts! Make sure you follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!