 |
|
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
| Dec 29, 2014
Wearable job site management system allows contractors to handle deficiencies with subtle hand and finger gestures [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
Technology combines a smartglass visual device with a motion-sensing armband to simplify field management work. The innovation was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 29, 2014
HealthSpot station merges personalized healthcare with videoconferencing [BD+C's 2014 Great Solutions Report]
The HealthSpot station is an 8x5-foot, ADA-compliant mobile kiosk that lets patients access a network of board-certified physicians through interactive videoconferencing and medical devices. It was named a 2014 Great Solution by the editors of Building Design+Construction.
| Dec 28, 2014
Robots, drones, and printed buildings: The promise of automated construction
Building Teams across the globe are employing advanced robotics to simplify what is inherently a complex, messy process—construction.
BIM and Information Technology | Dec 28, 2014
The Big Data revolution: How data-driven design is transforming project planning
There are literally hundreds of applications for deep analytics in planning and design projects, not to mention the many benefits for construction teams, building owners, and facility managers. We profile some early successful applications.
| Dec 23, 2014
5 tech trends transforming BIM/VDC
From energy modeling on the fly to prefabrication of building systems, these advancements are potential game changers for AEC firms that are serious about building information modeling.
| Dec 17, 2014
ULI report looks at growing appeal of micro unit apartments
New research from the Urban Land Institute suggests that micro units have staying power as a housing type that appeals to urban dwellers in high-cost markets who are willing to trade space for improved affordability and proximity to downtown neighborhoods.
| Nov 3, 2014
Novel 'self-climbing' elevator operates during construction of high-rise buildings
The JumpLift system from KONE uses a mobile machine room that moves upward as the construction progresses, speeding construction of tall towers.
| Oct 14, 2014
Slash energy consumption in data centers with liquid-based ‘immersive-cooling’ technology
A new technology promises to push the limits of data center energy efficiency by using liquid instead of air to cool the servers.
| Sep 10, 2014
Must See: Shape-shifting architecture that responds to heat
Students in Barcelona have created a composite material using shape memory polymers that can deform and return to their original state when activated by cues like heat, humidity, and light.
| Aug 4, 2014
Facebook’s prefab data center concept aims to slash construction time in half
Less than a year after opening its ultra-green, hydropowered data center facility in Luleå, Sweden, Facebook is back at it in Mother Svea with yet another novel approach to data center design.
