Photo: gbbn.comMusic and Event Management Inc. — aka MEMI, the concert arm of the non-profit Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra that runs Riverbend Music Center and Taft Theatre and books concerts at other local venues — has shared new renderings for its forthcoming venue on Cincinnati's riverfront. The organization last month said it was ready to begin construction immediately on the site between The Banks and Smale Park. MEMI has said it hopes to have the venue up and running by the end of 2020.

Take a tour of the inside of MEMI's state-of-the-art Music Venue at The Banks courtesy of @GBBNArchitects here: https://t.co/D34n8e19co pic.twitter.com/vqY11tDc0V — MEMI (@MEMIconcerts) June 27, 2019

The venue is being designed by architectural firm GBBN, which has worked on local projects like the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's new theater. GBBN has also worked on projects in Pittsburgh.

GBBN's website says the riverfront venue is being designed to accommodate 4,400 people indoors (the renderings of which are more clear than previously released plans) and has an 8,000-person capacity for its outdoor "seasonal stage."

Below is the venue's description from gbbn.com (which also has a video rendering of the site), as well as some of the rendering stills.





Photo: gbbn.com Photo: gbbn.com Photo: gbbn.com



Designed to connect audiences to the exhilaration of live music, Cincinnati’s new Music Venue will reshape the pulse of public space at Cincinnati’s riverfront. In a city known for cultural spaces that span generations —Music Hall, the Aronoff Center for the Arts, and Cincinnati Shakespeare’s Otto M. Budig Theater—the impact of the new Music Venue will reverberate beyond the building itself, re-shaping how people throughout the region engage with public space along the banks of the Ohio River. Seating 4,500 people on three levels captures the thrill of the crowd while also fostering the feeling of an intensely personal experience—for both patron and performer. Moving along its grand staircase for a sold-out performance; seeing a band play on the seasonal stage from the outdoor lawn; enjoying a drink (and a view of the historic Roebling Bridge) on the balcony on a cool spring night—the musical experience extends beyond the show itself. Set amongst the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Carol Anne’s Carousel and Event Center, this new Music Venue will extend the cultural corridor at Cincinnati’s southern edge and help anchor signature events like Taste of Cincinnati, Oktoberfest, and Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. It is anticipated that the venue will host 140-160 (indoor and outdoor) concert events a year, but it’s more than just a great place for music; the building is designed to fit in with the landscape of life in Cincinnati, whether or not an event is programmed. Running by it on a brisk autumn morning; approaching it for an outdoor concert or relaxed tailgate picnic; playing one last game of tag on the lawn with the kids as its lights come on— this new Music Venue will be a constant companion for so much of what makes life in this river town rich and inviting. Live performance—and the space that houses it—brings people together like few things can; it has the power to lift community spirit in a way that echoes beyond the stage and amplifies an entire region.

Photo: gbbn.com Photo: gbbn.com

