1901 Project Reveals Music Hall Design for United Center Campus
The 6,000-capacity venue is designed around live music, with three viewing levels, flexible configurations and premium hospitality tied to a wider Chicago development.
The United Center’s owners have revealed the first interior renderings of the Music Hall planned for The 1901 Project, bringing a clearer view of how a new 6,000-capacity performance venue will fit into the arena’s Chicago campus. The hall is under construction as part of the development’s first phase and is expected to open in 2028.
The venue is being designed specifically for live music rather than adapting a multipurpose building. Renderings show three levels of viewing, a room intended to keep audiences close to the stage and a flexible configuration that can scale to different shows. The project team says the design prioritizes acoustics, sightlines and production capabilities.
Expansive bars, merchandise areas and guest circulation spaces are intended to support the performance experience beyond the bowl. Backstage, the design calls for easier load-ins and a dedicated artist compound. RIOS is the Music Hall architect and interior architect; Theatre Projects and Kirkegaard are consulting on the theater and acoustics.
The Music Hall is being positioned as a complement to the United Center, rather than a smaller version of it. Danny Wirtz, chairman and CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks and co-chair of the United Center Joint Venture, said the aim is to build around the connection between an artist and the audience. The venue’s programming team expects to serve emerging acts, established performers seeking a more intimate room, special events and multi-night runs. Matt Rucins, hired as director of content and programming, is working with artists, agents and promoters ahead of opening.
Outside the building, the project is meant to extend the concert visit into public space, dining, retail and a nearby hotel. Michael Reinsdorf, president and CEO of the Chicago Bulls and the venture’s other co-chair, has framed the Music Hall as a way to make the campus active beyond game and event nights and better connect it with Chicago’s West Side.
The larger 1901 Project is a planned $7 billion transformation of more than 55 acres around the United Center. The first phase is underway, but the announced 2028 opening remains a target. Pricing, premium-space details and an event calendar for the Music Hall have not been released.
