When designing a performing arts centre, I'm transformed back to my seven-year-old self, excited to join my parents at the next musical. I thought about what would excite seven-year-old me. But, when designing a performing arts centre for the big city of Portland, I thought about little me even more when exploring the site and seeing a park across the street. I wanted to bring color, wonder, and artistic vision to the facade and lobby.
My main inspiration for this project was the red curtain that parts when the stage is set. When designing a black box, white box, rehearsal spaces and classrooms for children too, all of those artists/aspiring artists can recognize that curtain.
Parti
Programmatic Diagram
Exterior Elevation
Interior Lobby Perspective
Interior Rehearsal Space Perspective
Exterior Street Perspective
Elevations
Section 1
Section 2
Ground Floor Plan w/ Context
Exterior Casement
We were given tight site parameters, party walls, alleyways, and lots coming in second years. This was a studio of growth, change, and coming into my own. To fit the black box in with good seating, I decided to go down into a basement level. A white box was also needed programmatically; for ease of mind for the tech teams, I placed the white box on the second story, stacked, allowing easy access for a service elevator. The main challenge was engaging the corner, in my case, my corner engagement was my facade design. Through interactions and critiques, the curtain facade was restrained to just the physical corner and only went up to the second story to not overload the design and allow for limited light entry.
Structural Model
Structural Model Cut Line
Facade Bay Study
Interior Facade Bay Study
