The Toyota Music Factory, formerly known as Irving Music Factory, is a new 410,000 sq. ft. 16.7 acre, American Entertainment complex located in the Las Colinas neighborhood of Irving, Texas. It was developed by The ARK Group and The City of Irving and designed by Gensler, the world-renowned architecture firm for roughly $200 million.

The live music venue holds more than 8,000 spectators. The development is slated to include 300,000 sq. ft. of retail, restaurants and 100,000 sq. ft. office space. The 100,000 sq. ft. concert hall and outdoor amphitheater provide up to 8,000 seating capacity.

The building complex itself consists of 210,000 sq. ft. with 20 restaurants and bars and retail space that includes a movie theater and bowling alley. Inside the pavilion lies a air conditioned 4,000 seat indoor music amphitheater.

The $40 million convertible concert hall converts easily from an intimate 4,000-seat concert hall to an 8,000-seat amphitheater - it is being called the Pavilion at The Music Factory, and will be the centerpiece to the Music Factory.

Located on the exterior of the pavilion at the outside amphitheater are a series of seven side-by-side Schweiss bifold liftstrap doors ranging in size from 36.9' to 35.1' in width and all with a clear opening height of 25.6'. The engineered doors are equipped with the Schweiss newly patented automatic strap latch system, door base safety edges, 3-phase top-drive motors, black liftstraps and full length windrails that cap off the roller assembly. Roy Weisinger's company, Hangar Rental, Inc., of Brookshire, Texas installed the bifold doors.

Seven separate doors were used, instead of say two or three large doors, because they partially wrap around the pavilion building that has about a 10.5-degree curve to it. These seven doors can be opened during sold out concerts approximately a half hour prior to the time an indoor performance is being held. By opening them at that time, the indoor theater retains enough air conditioning for the performers and guests while allowing an additional 4,000 people outside seated on the 65,000 sq. ft. open air sloped hillside lawn to also see the stage and hear the performers. The inclined lawn offers a view of the sky, office towers, and the nearby highway.

More importantly, the seven open doors offer a clear sightline to the stage from every corner. The massive stage also has giant video screens on both sides making it hard to imagine anyone watching from the lawn getting too envious of those near the front.

The convertible pavilion comes in three shapes: a cozy indoor theater, slightly bigger indoor theater, and an indoor-outdoor amphitheater seating a total of 8,000 fans and as few as 2,500 as an indoor theater.

Oscar Stout, manager of Hangar Rental in Texas, headed up the installation of the seven doors.

"I was brought into the project nearly three years ago when it first developed. I was asked to read the architectural specifications for what was going on. I was provided documentation that I read through and I realize this is what these people were trying to do, and this is what they are asking for, and they really can't get from point A to point B with what they are specifying," explained Stout.

"The original specifications called for rollup doors, but you are in a music venue, a sound sensitive environment, and everyone knows those rollup doors can get loud when the wind starts blowing hard. So they then decided to look at bifold doors," said Stout.

Then they specified another door manufacturer that only made cable-lift doors. He brought it to the attention of those concerned. He told them through extensive experience with both manufacturers that Schweiss Doors had a much better product. He was asked after negotiation with the end client general contractor to explain what was going on with the two product lines.

"Right up until the last minute it was back and forth - everybody was looking for the best deal obviously and the other manufacturer was prepared to offer the lower cost option. Eventually it got to the point they wanted to go with the other manufacturer," said Stout.

"I told them these are the questions the client, Live Nation, needs to ask; one of which was what does this manufacturer construe as warranty service because the client is going to see a frayed cable within six months and they are going to say 'Hey that cable is breaking and you are going to have to replace it.'

"I entered into the discussion and said you will have to pay me $200 per cable to replace it and you are going to pay for my travel to get up here and I'm going to replace every cable on the door that suffers from a frayed cable because I'm not going to warranty my work unless I know all the cables are from the same manufacturer because steel cables stretch. I don't want to get into a situation . . . Well, I replaced this cable, which caused more stress on that cable which caused more stress on that cable. And it's going to cost to rent equipment and it's going to cost you a couple thousand dollars times seven, because you have seven doors.

"Apparently those questions got asked and suddenly the other manufacturer backed out. As far as I am concerned we stepped up to the plate and installed the superior Schweiss product. We told them if you want the best product on the market, it's a Schweiss product."

They scheduled a three-week install time frame from start to finish and completed the install in less time by accelerating the project so the contractors could meet their deadlines, noted Stout.

When speaking of the liftstraps and automatic strap latch system, Stout had this to say: "Nothing beats the strap system, period. I've got a little bit of engineering background; the liftstraps are bulletproof. The safety and reliability of them, the fact that they are effectively maintenance-free as long as somebody doesn't cut them or expose them to harsh chemicals; it's a phenomenal way to go. The quality is superb and any issues that do present themselves in the field are immediately taken care of by Schweiss.

"If I get a phone call from a gentleman who's thinking about building a hangar, I ask him: 'What are your door needs, what are you looking for? Let's talk about the best products on the market.' The first words out of my mouth are always Schweiss. The second words out of my mouth are Schweiss, because we start talking about the hydraulic door, then we go to the bifold."

The Music Factory venue is smaller, and more smartly designed. Bars and concessions are within pebble-throwing distance wherever you stand, including at the top of the lawn.

The stage is visible from throughout the Pavilion's spread. Music and entertainment lovers have already attended or are looking forward to performances from big names such as ZZ Top, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Ringo Starr, Tom Jones, Jewel, George Lopez, Brad Paisley, Goo Goo Dolls, Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and many more as the months go by.

"The place looks unbelievable and the concert hall is done," said Noah Lazes, president of Charlotte, North Carolina-based The Ark Group. "This couldn't have turned out any better - it's a beautiful venue."

Irving economic development director Scott Connell estimated in January that the Music Factory would bring 1,500 jobs to town and about $14 million in local sales tax revenue during a 10-year period.

The Music Factory is located just east of the President George Bush Turnpike and right next door to the Irving Convention Center, which opened in 2011. For ticket information on upcoming performances visit their website at: musicfactory.com

The ARK Group

The ARK Group is a multifaceted conglomerate of companies that focuses on mixed-use developments that often include an element of public entertainment. The ARK Group family of companies is structured to compliment, support and facilitate the projects of each individual company within the conglomerate. Innovative marketing and promotional concepts, sound fiscal management, and an exacting eye for details have been the cornerstones of ARK Group's continued success.

The ARK Group's extensive experience in the real estate and entertainment industry includes the construction and management of residential developments, multi-themed entertainment complexes, live music venues, restaurants and nightclubs, the production of music festivals, arena concerts, and TV specials for HBO and Cinemax.

Established in 1977 in Tyler, Texas, Ark helps the people and businesses of Texas with the purchase of their life and health insurance. The four primary divisions of the ARK Group family of companies are mixed-use residential and entertainment real estate, concerts and special events, nightclubs, restaurants, advertising and public relations.

Previous projects include the original Music Factory in Charlotte, North Carolina and Level Entertainment Venue in Miami, Florida. The Ark Group, LLC, is located at 1047 N. 205th Street, Elkhorn, NE. 402-884-4777. www.arkgroupus.com

M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates

M. Arthur Gensler Jr. & Associates, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco and referred to as Gensler is a global design architecture firm operating in 16 countries worldwide with 46 offices and over 5,000 architects, interior architects, planners and designers.

Art and Drue Gensler, and their associate, James Follett, founded the firm in 1965. The firm originally focused on corporate interiors, but has since diversified into numerous forms of architecture and design, including commercial office buildings, retail centers, airports, education facilities and entertainment complexes. It is also involved in planning and urban design, brand strategy, environmental graphic design, mission-critical facilities, sustainable design consulting and other areas.

Gensler was awarded the Architecture Firm Award in 2000 by the American Institute of Architects. In 2015, Gensler was awarded for their proposed London Underline project.

In 2015, Gensler generated $1.18 billion in revenue, the most of any architecture firm based in the United States for the fifth year in a row.

Previous projects include sports/entertainment district L.A. Live and MGM CityCenter. Gensler Dallas, who designed Irving's Music Factory, has a portfolio of mixed-use developments including Legacy West and The Star in Frisco. Gensler headquarters are at 2 Harrison St., Ste. 400, San Francisco CA. www.gensler.com