Doterra’s Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater
Pleasant Grove, Utah
BEST PROJECT
Presented by Layton Construction
owner Hale Center Theater Orem / Pleasant Grove City
Leading design company Study of the Method
General Contractor Layton Construction
Orem’s Hale Center Theater’s move to Pleasant Grove after 30 years of performances came with a name change as it finds its home on a new campus. The new Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater is a 77,950-square-foot facility that includes a 1,074-seat main theater, a 775-seat grand theater and a 299-seat studio theater, which is a nod to the theater’s original Orem space.
Externally, the building features locally sourced Delta stone alongside metal paneling and extensive glasswork. Inside, the theater has high-end wood paneling in the lobbies, VIP rooms, ballrooms and the main theater.
Completed in December 2024, the theater also houses the Hale Foundation Center for Arts and Education. With advanced technology, local materials that link the theater to its environment and spaces that nurture the talent of the future, this facility was designed to be a center for creativity, education and entertainment.
In addition to performance spaces, the facility includes rehearsal studios and recording spaces. World-class sound systems, state-of-the-art lighting and intimate staging are designed to bring every performance to life.
Photo courtesy of Layton Construction
Supporting the building are 50-foot-tall central CMU walls, which ensure stability and allow for more open spaces, which was crucial to the theater’s design. Additionally, to minimize noise and vibration, slab insulation was used throughout the building to improve the acoustics and overall theater experience.
The two largest theaters have a large catwalk system, but due to their size and weight, the safe installation of each required precise planning and coordination. Once the catwalks were in place, the team placed braces on the scraper beams, ensuring the seating arrangement was structurally sound and would meet all safety standards.
An underground duct system provides the theater with efficient and quiet heating and cooling, but unexpected groundwater complicated the installation. The team quickly developed a comprehensive groundwater management system that diverts water for irrigation use, helping to address the groundwater issue and improving the building’s overall sustainability. The system pumps 75 gallons of water per minute.
