 |
|
Finishes for the Eisenhower Theater were selected to modernize its look and feel and add elegance to what had been a dull space. |
The Eisenhower Theater in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., opened in 1971. By the turn of the century, after three-plus decades of heavy use, the 1,142-seat box-within-a-box playhouse on the Potomac was starting to show its age. Poor lighting and tired, worn finishes created a gloomy atmosphere. The onstage HVAC system couldn't even be used during performances, and there were tons of asbestos in the ceiling.
Two years ago, the local office of Quinn Evans | Architects was brought in to work with the Kennedy Center staff and theater users on a renovation. Because the theater hosts a variety of productions—plays, musicals, and contemporary dance—its many stakeholders—from programming and special events to the handicapped accessibility department—had a wide variety of needs.
These included modernizing the lighting and audio systems, expanding the orchestra pit, improving handicapped accessibility, abating the asbestos, upgrading the dressing rooms, and streamlining theater operations—not to mention updating the theater's aesthetics to modern standards. The Building Team was further constrained by having to maintain the seating capacity while making no significant changes to the structural box that acoustically isolates the theater.
Using a Revit building information model, the architects detailed the entire design down to the individual seat and worked closely with construction manager Whiting-Turner to discover not only the right design and constructability solutions, but also to estimate real-world costs and stay within the project's $17.9 million budget.
To solve the accessibility problem, ramps were introduced at the box tier through the new space available between diagonal bracing members, and the seating area was expanded to accommodate wheelchair seating. To enhance the intimacy of the theater, the balcony fronts at both the box tier and balcony levels were extended to create a softer line around the audience. Total seating capacity was actually increased by 24 seats.
New lighting positions, theatrical rails, dressing rooms, a new audio system, enhancements to the existing HVAC system, and control rooms were all designed to be hidden from view behind the theater's new walls. —Jeffrey Yoders, Senior Associate Editor
Related Stories
| Feb 14, 2014
Crowdsourced Placemaking: How people will help shape architecture
The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.
| Feb 13, 2014
University officials sound off on net zero energy buildings
As part of its ongoing ZNE buildings research project, Sasaki Associates, in collaboration with Buro Happold, surveyed some 500 campus designers and representatives on the top challenges and opportunities for achieving net-zero energy performance on university and college campuses.
| Feb 12, 2014
First Look: Futuristic Silicon Valley campus designed to draw tech startups
The curved campus will consist of four different buildings, one exclusively for amenities like a coffee bar, bike shop, and bank.
| Feb 11, 2014
Adobe Photoshop update features new 3D printing capabilities
Available as part of an update to Photoshop Creative Cloud, the tool enables users to easily and reliably build, refine, preview, prepare, and print 3D designs.
| Feb 7, 2014
DOE, Autodesk team to overhaul the EnergyPlus simulation program
The update will allow a larger ecosystem of developers to contribute updates to the code in order to improve performance and decrease the time required to run energy model simulations.
| Feb 7, 2014
Zaha Hadid's 'white crystal' petroleum research center taking shape in the desert [slideshow]
Like a crystalline form still in the state of expansion, the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center will rise from the desert in dramatic fashion, with a network of bright-white, six-sided cells combining to form an angular, shell-like façade.
| Feb 5, 2014
7 towers that define the 'skinny skyscraper' boom [slideshow]
Recent advancements in structural design, combined with the loosening of density and zoning requirements, has opened the door for the so-called "superslim skyscraper."
| Feb 4, 2014
World's fifth 'living building' certified at Smith College [slideshow]
The Bechtel Environmental Classroom utilizes solar power, composting toilets, and an energy recovery system, among other sustainable strategies, to meet the rigorous performance requirements of the Living Building Challenge.
| Feb 4, 2014
Must see: Student housing complex made with recycled shipping containers
Architect Christian Salvati's new structure is just the first step in bringing shipping container construction to New Haven, Conn.
| Jan 30, 2014
What to expect in the metal building industry in 2014
Every year brings changes. This one won’t be any different. We’ll see growth in some areas, declines in others. Here’s a little preview of what we’ll be writing about 2014 when 2015 comes rolling in.
