Polishing a new shell at the Bowl

Fifth time lucky? At the Hollywood Bowl, the band shell is down and a new one is going up. The last structure, built in 1929, was the fourth of its kind and had famously bad acoustics, with musicians complaining they couldn’t hear one another onstage.

Over the years, many attempts were made to mitigate the problem. Frank Gehry’s solutions included the “sonotubes” of 1970, which were cardboard forms that resembled concrete columns. In 1980, they were replaced with hollow fiberglass spheres, also designed by Gehry.

Problems persisted, and a design by the prominent local architectural firm Hodgetts + Fung was approved a few years back. After two years of delays, as conservationists fought the change and arguments made their way through the courts, construction began in October on a new Hollywood Bowl shell.

The $25-million refurbishment is designed to alleviate some of the Bowl’s sound problems with a new shell and an expanded stage. Already, $25 million has been spent on upgrading the venue for patrons by building escalators, updating access for the disabled and improving restrooms.

The shell -- a half ellipse rather than a half circle -- is scheduled to be completed in time for summer.

-- Louise Roug