Lower Columbia Community College, Rose Center for the Arts

On the former site of a fine arts building, an old Masonic Temple and a fast-food restaurant, the Rose Center for the Arts provides a new focus for the Lower Columbia College campus’ entrance. Auerbach Pollock Friedlander provided planning and design services for the Rose Center including the 500-seat Wollenberg Auditorium, 120-seat Center Stage Theatre and Lecture Hall, the Ken & Pat Hanson Rehearsal Hall and support facilities for the music and drama departments.

Early budgetary challenges faced by the team were satisfied with value engineering alternatives of nearly $600,000, allowing the project to proceed with other design elements still in place. Modern variable acoustics, sound systems and lighting in the Wollenberg Auditorium created a high-tech venue; while softwoods, locally milled in this lumber town on the Columbia River, visually connected the arts space to the regional economy. The Center Stage Theatre and Lecture Hall, a thrust theatre with generous backstage areas, allowed for flexibility for performances of various types, while serving as a lecture and instructional facility for the College. The Ken & Pat Hanson Rehearsal Hall, designed with variable acoustics, adjusts to the individual user’s needs including orchestra rehearsals, smaller ensembles, vocal performance or a single lecturer.

Architect: Opsis Architecture
Acoustics: McKay Conant Hoover
Size: 54,000 SF
Completion: 2008