Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School

Located in the heart of the downtown cultural district, the Pittsburgh Center for Creative and Performing Arts is a magnet school providing a comprehensive academic program grounded in arts education experience for grades 6-12.

Auerbach Pollock Friedlander provided theatre and audio-video consulting for the 400-seat theatre/auditorium, 150-seat black box/drama rehearsal room, music and dance studios.

The 400-seat theatre features an orchestra pit with motorized lift, a six-story stage house with a counterweight rigging system, a resilient tongue-and-groove fir stage floor, removable traps and custom adjustable-height orchestra shell.

A significant design challenge was to create a fully functioning theatre space within the unique shape of the black box space, which utilized the building’s undulating glass façade as its fourth wall. The challenge was met through a collaborative effort of architect and consultant. Auerbach Pollock Friedlander designed lighting and audio systems controlled from an enclosed booth, a full height drape which permits the room to be completely blacked out for the performances while still allowing natural light when the room is used for rehearsal or public gatherings, and an overhead pipe grid that provides flexible accommodation for hanging lighting, sound, drapes, and scenic elements.

Architect: MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni
Size: 125,000 SF
Cost: $35,000,000
Completion: 2003