Arup announces the appointment of David Taylor to lead Arup’s performing arts sector work in the Americas. Taylor, an associate principal based in New York, will be the primary point of contact in the Americas for performing arts clients and the linchpin for Arup’s overall work in the sector.
“It’s an excellent fit for both Arup and David,” says Neill Woodger, principal and leader of the Arup Acoustics practice in the Americas. “He has worked with Arup for more than 20 years on key arts projects around the world. His expertise in theatre planning and design brings an important skill set to our practice, augmenting our existing acoustics, lighting, simulation, venue consulting, and engineering disciplines and allowing us to provide a complete and integrated package of services to performing arts clients.”
Taylor joins Arup after 21 years with Theatre Projects Consultants, a global theatre design firm. He has led some of the most acclaimed new performing arts projects of the last decade, including the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, New Amsterdam Theatre in New York, Hyperion Theatre at Disneyland, Goodman Theatres in Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, San Jose and Seattle Repertory Theatres, as well as new homes for the Seattle Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and New World Symphony. His international experience includes projects in Southeast Asia, Japan, Europe, and the UK, including the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas Hall in Kuala Lumpur for the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orange Tree and Tricycle Theatres in London.
“There is an unrivalled experience and knowledge base of creative design and engineering within Arup, and I am tremendously excited to lead the firm’s work on innovative solutions for a diverse body of performing arts clients,” Taylor says. “I have been privileged to lead highly successful arts projects in recent years and I’m gratified to bring that experience and portfolio to Arup. As the arts world grows increasingly global, thanks to technology and internationalism, there is no firm better positioned than Arup to deliver the solutions that artists, patrons, and performance spaces alike depend on for their livelihood and enjoyment.”
Taylor is a Lifetime Fellow of the Association of Lighting Designers and a member of the US Institute of Theatre Technology and the Society of Theatre Consultants. He is a vice president of the Entertainment Services and Technology Association. He remains an active lighting designer for opera, dance, and theatre productions in the United States and Europe and a frequent contributor to magazines and journals around the world.
