The Greek theatre, a 5,900-seat outdoor music venue in Griffin Park, Los Angeles, has recently completed a restoration project.
The renovation project for the 90-year-old theatre began in 2015 after the Greek Revival-inspired architecture began to lose its historic luster. “Over the years, the site had accumulated a disparate collage of signage, advertisements and additions that obscured the original Neoclassical features,” said Page & Turnbull Architect and Principal John Lesak, AIA, LEED AP, FAPT, in a release. “We focused attention on conserving the iconic patron doors, and restoring the signature green-glazed clay tile roof .”
Phases 1 and 2 of the restoration included the removal of alterations to the site that obscured the historic character as well as the complete restoration of the iconic entry gates, which were badly corroded. The project’s final phase focused on the roof and skylights. Only 10% of the original terra cotta roof tile was salvageable, which meant the team had to custom fabricate new tiles using slip-casting and glazing. Existing skylights were restored and updated with high-performance glass and a carbon fiber wrap was added to the concrete roof deck for seismic strengthening.
While the project has completed, visitors will have to wait a while longer before being able to fully appreciate the renovations as the Greek’s 2020 season has been cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Related Stories
| Jun 12, 2014
Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method
Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.
| Jun 9, 2014
Green Building Initiative launches Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors program
The new program focuses exclusively on the sustainable design and construction of interior spaces in nonresidential buildings and can be pursued by both building owners and individual lessees of commercial spaces.
| May 29, 2014
7 cost-effective ways to make U.S. infrastructure more resilient
Moving critical elements to higher ground and designing for longer lifespans are just some of the ways cities and governments can make infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change, writes Richard Cavallaro, President of Skanska USA Civil.
| May 20, 2014
Kinetic Architecture: New book explores innovations in active façades
The book, co-authored by Arup's Russell Fortmeyer, illustrates the various ways architects, consultants, and engineers approach energy and comfort by manipulating air, water, and light through the layers of passive and active building envelope systems.
| May 19, 2014
What can architects learn from nature’s 3.8 billion years of experience?
In a new report, HOK and Biomimicry 3.8 partnered to study how lessons from the temperate broadleaf forest biome, which houses many of the world’s largest population centers, can inform the design of the built environment.
| May 13, 2014
19 industry groups team to promote resilient planning and building materials
The industry associations, with more than 700,000 members generating almost $1 trillion in GDP, have issued a joint statement on resilience, pushing design and building solutions for disaster mitigation.
| May 11, 2014
Final call for entries: 2014 Giants 300 survey
BD+C's 2014 Giants 300 survey forms are due Wednesday, May 21. Survey results will be published in our July 2014 issue. The annual Giants 300 Report ranks the top AEC firms in commercial construction, by revenue.
| May 2, 2014
World's largest outdoor chandelier tops reworked streetscape for Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare
Streetscape project includes monumental gateway portals, LED signage, and a new plaza, fire pit, sidewalk café, and alfresco dining area.
| Apr 29, 2014
USGBC launches real-time green building data dashboard
The online data visualization resource highlights green building data for each state and Washington, D.C.
| Apr 16, 2014
Upgrading windows: repair, refurbish, or retrofit [AIA course]
Building Teams must focus on a number of key decisions in order to arrive at the optimal solution: repair the windows in place, remove and refurbish them, or opt for full replacement.
