NYS Office of General Services contracted with us to provide design services for the NYS Legislative Hearing Rooms that are shared by the New York State Senate and Assembly. The hearing rooms are located in the Legislative Office Building (LOB) at the north end of the Empire State Plaza in Albany. There are three separate Hearing Rooms accommodating a total of eleven-hundred seats. Overall budget for the project was approximately $4 million.

The Hearing Rooms have had only minor renewal since their original construction in the late 1960’s and were in need of major interior renovations. One focus of the renovation was modernization of the obsolete audio/visual systems and installation of new lighting and video equipment to respond to the need to broadcast the Hearing Room proceedings. Other focuses included improved acoustics and renewal of finishes. Synthesis incorporated all the design criteria into a unified design of the space. The required equipment and technology was incorporated into the room finishes. Camera, speakers, projectors were concealed in built-in consoles and trim so that they are virtually invisible. A new indirect house lighting system was installed creating pleasant ambient lighting and enhancing the original architecture of the space. The overall design has a “contemporary” aesthetic which coordinates with the classic modern design of the LOB and the State Plaza.