A May-December romance is drawing cheers from Salt Lake City residents. Salt Lake City's historic Capitol Theatre celebrated its centennial in 2014 with some cosmetic touch-ups, but then also emerged with a new companion next door: the Jesse Eccles Quinney Ballet Centre. The newcomer is infusing energy into downtown and breathing life into the historic theater, though the structural balance of pairing the old and new "performers" had engineers keeping a close eye on the choreography.
The 55,000-sq-ft, $22-million ballet center incorporates thematic elements from the old theater along with more contemporary designs. It is connected and integrated with the old theater by a full-height glass atrium on the theater's west wall. The center's angled, 150-ft-long facade nearly mirrors the envelope of the adjacent Capitol Theatre.