PHOENIX THEATRE MAINSTAGE

Every Performing arts venue is a unique environment. In these days of limited funding for the arts and education, theaters and auditoriums are being asked to provide a home for a wide variety of events, many with differing physical requirements. Drama requires a ‘dry’ non-reverberant acoustical environment which is opposite of the best environment for musical theatre. Auditoriums for a range of different performances - from opera to symphonies to musical theater are more challenging since each performance has its own acoustical and staging requirements. The theater is a complex building type. The building itself is built around this relationship; from the inside out.

Each program and project is uniquely derived from parameters of its context. There are no ‘look-alikes’. While it is impossible for one performance hall to serve all events perfectly, some lessons have been learned and we have developed methods to vastly improve upon the ‘multi-purpose auditorium’ and rehearsal halls.

Phoenix Theatre is fortunate to have the space and funds available to both renovate the existing theatre as well as construct a new mainstage. Construction will be done in phases and requires careful programming and planning to insure proper function and access. This includes technician access to catwalks, grids, control suite and theatrical lighting positions; building operator’s access to mechanical equipment, junction boxes, electrical rooms and dimmer rooms. It also includes definition of patron universal access and performer access.  When multiple construction phases and certificates of occupancy are required within one construction cycle, then life safety systems will need to be intact per phase. The construction site must be clearly defined and secure between phases.

Mechanical units and duct work will be sized and detailed for the silent drop of air in the house. Ducts must be coordinated with catwalk systems above the house. These must be coordinated with the potential for variable acoustics within the reverberant cavity above the house. Single line drawings are not sufficient for coordination since there are many spaces that the conduit and piping cannot route to allow the proper function of the stage craft. We are providing coordination drawings as part of our construction documentation with alternatives for electrical routing in both plan and section. Coordinating sound, lighting, and building systems through design and construction is part of the critical path. The coordination drawings that overlay all systems ensure that conflicts are resolved on paper through electronic documentation and not in the field. We utilize Building Information Modeling to assist in coordination and ‘clash detection’ between disciplines in 3 dimensions. Design-assist is being utilized and pre-bid meetings will be held to give the contractors and subcontractors an opportunity to clarify their interpretations of the documents.