AUERBACH POLLOCK FRIEDLANDER

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, NEW YORK, NY AND MINNEAPOLIS, MN –
(August 14, 2009) – Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, Performing Arts/Media Facilities Planning and Design, was a key member of the design team for Emerson College’s, Paramount Center re-use project with Elkus/Manfredi Architects.

Following the success of the team’s previous collaboration on the renovation of the Cutler Majestic Theatre and the multi-venue Tufte Performance and Production Center, Auerbach Pollock Friedlander provided theatre consulting and sound, video and production communications design for the redevelopment of the Paramount Theatre and the adjacent Arcade Building which is the former site of the Bijou Theatre and B.F. Keith’s Theatre, the first vaudeville theatre to use electric lighting. The project is a combination of adaptive re-use, renovation and new infill construction including a 596-seat proscenium theatre that occupies the footprint and recreates the original art-deco finishes of the 1,500-seat Paramount Theatre which originally opened in 1932 as a movie theatre. Additional program areas for which Auerbach Pollock Friedlander provided consulting and design services include the experimental 125-seat flexible studio theatre, the 180-seat Bright Family Screening Room, a film sound stage, rehearsal and media studios, practice rooms, classrooms, faculty offices and a scene shop which is designed to support all of Emerson’s theatres. The top four floors of the facility provide dormitory space for 260 students.

The Paramount Center has been in use since February and will have its official opening in September with the 2010-2011 inaugural season.

Paramount Theatre

The new 596-seat proscenium theatre occupies the footprint of the original Paramount Theatre which opened in 1932 as a movie theatre and accommodated 1,500. A completely new stage house, sized for live performance, has replaced the original platform which was designed for film. The increased depth of the stage and inclusion of an orchestra pit required careful redesign of the seating to assure excellent sightlines and to allow connection to the existing main level and mezzanine lobbies in which the historic finishes were largely preserved and refurbished.

The new stage connects directly with a new scene dock, loading dock and scene shop. The flytower provides a full working grid and is equipped with a combination of 26 manual counterweight rigging linesets and 15 fully motorized variable speed battens.

Black Box Theatre

The 2,300 square foot flexible space theatre is located in the footprint of the “Arcade” Building that was adjacent to the original Paramount. The new 125-seat black box is now connected to the Paramount’s second floor lobby. The space incorporates the historic façade of the Arcade Building including its arched windows all of which are equipped with automated black out blinds. A full lighting system provides distributed data, dimmed and switched circuits on the pipe grid and surrounding technical gallery. The space is adjacent to the scene shop’s paint deck and the two spaces are connected by a large set of doors allowing the paint deck space to double as scenery storage or a rear projection space.

Bright Family Screening Room

The 180-seat Bright Family Screening Room provides a complete facility for showing student and professional work. The space has a full 35mm, 16mm film projection and digital cinema projection systems providing six projection formats. A full Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound system provides superb sound quality in the space. When not being used for cinema, the space is also designed to support lectures and related video presentations.

Film Sound Stage

The 1,500 square foot sound stage is a double height space that allows students to work in a space and with equipment that duplicate the facilities of major motion picture studio sound stages. While not intended to provide the area needed to set up large productions or multiple sets, the space allows students to work hands-on with sets, props, cameras and lighting on site to support the College’s educational programs.

Rehearsal Spaces

The Paramount Center includes nine studios totaling over 8,000 square feet of space. The studios range in size from 500 square feet to 1,500 square feet and while they can be considered multi-purpose, each is purpose-designed for dance, music or theatre. Studio 7, the largest theatre studio is equipped with a pipe grid and lighting system power to allow for use as a small performance space. The other large studios have power and rigging supports to allow for modest performance support.

Scene Shop

The 4,500 square foot scene shop provides wood working, metal working and painting facilities to support all of Emerson’s performance spaces. A full loading dock with two bays capable of accommodating full tractor trailers, links to a scene dock with an 18’ clear height. The scene dock provides access to the shop and mainstage through 18’ high loading doors to enable fully assembled pieces to be moved between spaces. It also links to a 6,000-lb freight elevator which provides access to the flexible theatre, studio spaces and sound stage on the upper floors.

All photos © Peter Vanderwarker.


	EMERSON COLLEGE, PARAMOUNT CENTER SAN FRANCISCO, CA, NEW YORK, NY AND MINNEAPOLIS, MN – (August 14, 2009) – Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, Performing Arts/Media Facilities Planning and Design, was a key member of the design team for Emerson College’s, Paramount Center re-use project with Elkus/Manfredi Architects. Following the success of the team’s previous collaboration on the renovation of the Cutler Majestic Theatre and the multi-venue Tufte Performance and Production Center, Auerbach Pollock Friedlander provided theatre consulting and sound, video and production communications design for the redevelopment of the Paramount Theatre and the adjacent Arcade Building which is the former site of the Bijou Theatre and B.F. Keith’s Theatre, the first vaudeville theatre to use electric lighting. The project is a combination of adaptive re-use, renovation and new infill construction including a 596-seat proscenium theatre that occupies the footprint and recreates the original art-deco finishes of the 1,500-seat Paramount Theatre which originally opened in 1932 as a movie theatre. Additional program areas for which Auerbach Pollock Friedlander provided consulting and design services include the experimental 125-seat flexible studio theatre, the 180-seat Bright Family Screening Room, a film sound stage, rehearsal and media studios, practice rooms, classrooms, faculty offices and a scene shop which is designed to support all of Emerson’s theatres. The top four floors of the facility provide dormitory space for 260 students. The Paramount Center has been in use since February and will have its official opening in September with the 2010-2011 inaugural season. Paramount Theatre The new 596-seat proscenium theatre occupies the footprint of the original Paramount Theatre which opened in 1932 as a movie theatre and accommodated 1,500. A completely new stage house, sized for live performance, has replaced the original platform which was designed for film. The increased depth of the stage and inclusion of an orchestra pit required careful redesign of the seating to assure excellent sightlines and to allow connection to the existing main level and mezzanine lobbies in which the historic finishes were largely preserved and refurbished. The new stage connects directly with a new scene dock, loading dock and scene shop. The flytower provides a full working grid and is equipped with a combination of 26 manual counterweight rigging linesets and 15 fully motorized variable speed battens. Black Box Theatre The 2,300 square foot flexible space theatre is located in the footprint of the “Arcade” Building that was adjacent to the original Paramount. The new 125-seat black box is now connected to the Paramount’s second floor lobby. The space incorporates the historic façade of the Arcade Building including its arched windows all of which are equipped with automated black out blinds. A full lighting system provides distributed data, dimmed and switched circuits on the pipe grid and surrounding technical gallery. The space is adjacent to the scene shop’s paint deck and the two spaces are connected by a large set of doors allowing the paint deck space to double as scenery storage or a rear projection space. Bright Family Screening Room The 180-seat Bright Family Screening Room provides a complete facility for showing student and professional work. The space has a full 35mm, 16mm film projection and digital cinema projection systems providing six projection formats. A full Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound system provides superb sound quality in the space. When not being used for cinema, the space is also designed to support lectures and related video presentations. Film Sound Stage The 1,500 square foot sound stage is a double height space that allows students to work in a space and with equipment that duplicate the facilities of major motion picture studio sound stages. While not intended to provide the area needed to set up large productions or multiple sets, the space allows students to work hands-on with sets, props, cameras and lighting on site to support the College’s educational programs. Rehearsal Spaces The Paramount Center includes nine studios totaling over 8,000 square feet of space. The studios range in size from 500 square feet to 1,500 square feet and while they can be considered multi-purpose, each is purpose-designed for dance, music or theatre. Studio 7, the largest theatre studio is equipped with a pipe grid and lighting system power to allow for use as a small performance space. The other large studios have power and rigging supports to allow for modest performance support. Scene Shop The 4,500 square foot scene shop provides wood working, metal working and painting facilities to support all of Emerson’s performance spaces. A full loading dock with two bays capable of accommodating full tractor trailers, links to a scene dock with an 18’ clear height. The scene dock provides access to the shop and mainstage through 18’ high loading doors to enable fully assembled pieces to be moved between spaces. It also links to a 6,000-lb freight elevator which provides access to the flexible theatre, studio spaces and sound stage on the upper floors. All photos © Peter Vanderwarker.