Four theatre projects have been chosen by a panel of experts to receive USITT Architecture Awards for 2003. Two projects, the Roda Theatre, a part of Berkeley Repertory in Berkeley, CA, and the Coronado Theatre in Rockford, IL, will receive Honor Awards, the highest designation. Two others, the Miller Performing Arts Center in Alfred, NY, 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, IL, facility was designed 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 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.
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.
Each of these projects will also be depicted in a special exhibit as part of Stage Expo in Minneapolis.