Project Description

The 36,700-square-foot municipal arts facility houses a 494-seat music performance hall, a black box theater, a rehearsal hall and support space. Serving as the cultural center for this community, the Arts Center is home to the Civic Chorus, Community Theatre, Community Band and the Symphony Orchestra. The acoustical quality of the spaces was particularly important, as was acoustical isolation of all noise generators.

To meet the extremely tight budget and yet achieve the spatial volume needed acoustically, tilt-wall concrete panels were used for the basic structure. Utilizing the L-shaped remains of an old hospital building, the design team created a major courtyard used for outdoor events by adding the performance hall and entry/galleries. With the acoustical isolation achieved, performances can occur simultaneously in the performance hall, the black box theater and the rehearsal hall.