Cleveland’s Allen Theatre opened in 1921 as a 3,080-seat movie house. It was spared from the wrecking ball in the 1970s. In the late 1990s it underwent a renovation that reduced the number of seats to 2,500, and it reopened in 1998 as a venue for live theatre. By 2010, it was marginally utilized, a victim of changes in the entertainment industry and the national economic downturn.
The reconstruction of the Allen Theatre was made possible by a unique collaboration among three organizations: the Cleveland Play House and Cleveland State University, each of which needed to build new performance facilities; and Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare, the second-largest theatre district in the country (after New York’s Lincoln Center) and the largest total historic theatre district in history, with 10 renovated, reconstructed, and new insertion venues.
PROJECT SUMMARY
ALLEN THEATRE AT PLAYHOUSESQUARE
Cleveland, OhioBuilding Team
Submitting Firm: Westlake Reed Leskosky (architect, engineer)
Acoustician: Talaske and Associates
Construction manager: Turner Construction Co.General Information
Size: 81,500 sf (renovation), 44,000 sf (addition)
Construction cost: $30 million
Construction time: August 2010 to December 2011(Phase I) and January 2012 (Phase II)
Delivery method: CM with GMP
All three entities were clients of local architecture firm Westlake Reed Leskosky, which brought them together to fulfill their professional and educational agendas. WRL provided all architectural and engineering services, with Talaske and Associates as acoustician and Turner Construction Company as construction manager.
The $30 million project resulted in three new theatres in the existing 81,500-sf space and a 44,000-sf contiguous addition: the Allen Theatre, the Second Stage, and the Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre.
The Allen Theatre was transformed into a 512-seat proscenium stage theatre. The space was downsized to improve acoustics and allow for vocal clarity without the need for amplification. New sidewalls featuring scrims of perforated metal were constructed, designed to reflect sound to patrons in and under the balcony. The area under the balcony was redeveloped into a lounge and pre-show events space.
The Second Stage is a transitional space that flexibly seats up to 348 and is equipped with seating wagons that can transform the stage area into multiple configurations. The Helen is a 150-seat black-box theatre for smaller performances and educational programs.
All three theatres were up and running by this past January. With the addition of these new venues, PlayhouseSquare expects at least 150,000 additional guests to patronize the renovated theatre district each year. +
Related Stories
School Construction | May 11, 2022
New Digital Learning Commons at Rutgers supports doctoral programs in over 16 disciplines
The new Digital Learning Commons at the Rutgers University Archibald S. Alexander Library provides students in over 16 courses of study and four professional schools with spacious collaborative and study space.
Esports Arenas | May 11, 2022
Design firm Populous partners with esports company on digital art NFT collection
Design firm Populous and multidiscipline esports organization Kansas City Pioneers have partnered on a five-part NFT collection.
Multifamily Housing | May 11, 2022
Kitchen+Bath AMENITIES – Take the survey for a chance at a $50 gift card
MULTIFAMILY DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION is conducting a research study on the use of kitchen and bath products in the $106 billion multifamily construction sector.
Building Team | May 11, 2022
Miami to get its first supertall building
After completing its first supertall building, 111 W 57th Street in New York, developer PMG is now preparing for the groundbreaking of the first supertall in Miami: Waldorf Astoria Miami.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | May 10, 2022
Design guide for parapets: Safety, continuity, and the building code
This course covers design considerations for parapets. The modern parapet must provide fire protection, serve as a fall-protective guard, transition and protect the roof/facade interface, conceal rooftop equipment, and contribute to the aesthetic character of the building.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | May 10, 2022
Designing smarter places of learning
This course explains the how structural steel building systems are suited to construction of education facilities.
Performing Arts Centers | May 10, 2022
A historic performance space is transformed to reinforce a campus’ Arts District
Connecticut College’s Athey Center for Performance and Research at Palmer Auditorium balances the old and new.
Market Data | May 10, 2022
Hybrid work could result in 20% less demand for office space
Global office demand could drop by between 10% and 20% as companies continue to develop policies around hybrid work arrangements, a Barclays analyst recently stated on CNBC.
Multifamily Housing | May 10, 2022
Multifamily rents up 14.3% in 2022
The average U.S. asking rent for multifamily housing increased $15 in April to an all-time high of $1,659, according to Yardi Matrix.
Headquarters | May 10, 2022
JPMorgan Chase’s new all-electric headquarters to have net-zero operational emissions
JPMorgan Chase’s recently unveiled plans for its new global headquarters building in New York City that is rife with impressive sustainability credentials.
