Four theatre projects have been chosen by a panel of experts to receive USITT Architecture Awards for 2003. This is the tenth year for United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc.'s awards recognizing excellence in design of theatre projects.
Two projects, the Roda Theatre, a part of Berkeley Repertory in Berkeley, California, and the Coronado Theatre in Rockford, Illinois, will receive Honor Awards, the highest designation. Two others, the Miller Performing Arts Center in Alfred, New York, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England, will receive Merit Awards.
The awards will be presented at the Institute's Annual Conference & Stage Expo in Minneapolis, MN, at the Awards Banquet on March 22. A discussion of all entries submitted for consideration will be held earlier that day as part of the Conference programming.
The Roda Theatre--with ELS Architecture and Urban Design as architect, Auerbach*Pollock*Friedlander as theatre consultant, and Charles M. Salter Associates, Inc. as acoustical consultants--is an $11 million project completed in 2001. This new 600-seat proscenium theatre complements the existing 400-seat thrust stage.
The Coronado Theatre's historic revitalization and expansion was completed in 2001 at a project cost of $13 million. The Rockford, Illinois facility was design by van Dijk Westlake Reed Leskosky as architect with Richard L. Johnson Associates, Inc. as associate architects, Sachs Morgan Studio, Inc., as theatre consultants and The Talaske Group as acoustical consultants. The Coronado Theatre was originally built in 1927 as a movie house and vaudeville theatre. It re-opened in 2001 after 18 months of renovation.
The Miller Performing Arts Center, on the campus of Alfred University, was designed by Kallmann McKinnell & Wood as architect with David Weiss as theatre consultant, and Lewis Goodfriend & Associates as acoustical consultant. The Miller Performing Arts Center, designed as a university performing arts center, features dance studios, individual and group rehearsal rooms, and a theatre. The center was completed in 1995 with construction costs of $8 million.
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England is a new theatre within the renovation of an existing facility. Avery Associates Architects were architects for the £17 million project with Theatre Projects Consultants as theatre consultants, and Paul Gillieron Acoustical Design as acoustical consultants. The project was completed in 2000.
All 36 theatres nominated for the 2003 Architecture Awards Program were reviewed by a diverse panel of jurors. William L. Rawn III, FAIA, principal with William Rawn Associates, Architects, chaired the panel which included Benton Delinger, senior theatre consultant with Theatre Projects Consultants; Peter Altman, producing artistic director with the Missouri Repertory Theatre, and David Dillon, architecture critic with the Dallas Morning News.
Each of these unique projects will be depicted in a special exhibit as part of Stage Expo in Minneapolis. For more information about USITT, the Architecture Awards Program, or the Annual Conference & Stage Expo, visit www.usitt.org.