AAA was first engaged to save an existing renovation project under construction, which had been condemned for design and structural concerns. To be sensitive to the city’s budget and schedule, we offered an initial proposal that would safely reuse as much of existing work as possible, as well as a new design. The city chose the new design, and to re-start the project from scratch.
We envisioned the lobby as a center for civic activities, not only as a destination for theatergoers. To dignify the entrance and create a welcoming link between the public city street and the intimate space of the theater, we moved the main access and lobby entrance from a side street to the main street. A portico with wide stairs adds texture and movement to the corner of the structure, and resolves the challenge of the slope of the street.
The 600 seat house is richly clad in wide-paneled mahogany and technical acoustic materials, and designed for pristine acoustics and lighting. Every seat has a clear view of the stage. The stage itself uniquely adapts for concerts and theatrical performances as well as for civic and municipal events. The orchestra pit rises or disappears, and the first two rows of seating can be subsumed to extend the stage. The stage itself is entirely modular, so individual sections raise or lower to different elevations as needed. Ample spacing between seating sections and wide aisles allow for easy crowd movement and use of the space during performances.
In addition to the theater and its required facilities, the building houses office space for the Arts and Culture Municipal Institute and a music school with acoustically optimized classrooms and rehearsal rooms.
