CREJ

/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / DECEMBER 2017

/ Transforming Denver’s Theatre Experience: The Unique Art of Performance Design /

and a rehearsal studio. (I attended my first production in

the Space Theatre in 1984 as a graduate student, worked in

the facility for three years as a professional, and have been

fascinated by its uniqueness ever since.)

By 2010, however, the DCPA recognized that multiple

areas of the theater complex needed updating to address

shifts in audience expectations and programming needs.

They commissioned our firmto evaluate opportunities and

help prioritize phased improvements, the first of which

was a renovation of the lobby completed in 2011 (including

relocating the box office, enlarging the café, increasing pa-

tron seating, and de-cluttering signage and graphics). The

second project iteration converted little-used office space

into a new patron and special event room called the Direc-

tors’ Room. And the third phase identified was the Space

Theatre renovation.

After more than three decades and some 400 produc-

tions, our 2014 assessment – done in collaboration with

Theatre Projects Consultants – determined that the the-

ater needed improvements to its audience amenities, per-

formance infrastructure, circulation, code compliance,

support spaces and accessibility to meet the needs of the

future. We led a skilled team that included Theatre Proj-

ects Consultants, K2, Martin/Martin and MKK Consulting

Engineers, and set out to improve all of the identified ar-

eas while retaining everything that was beloved about the

theater, including the intimacy and the audience interplay

created by the “in the round” arena form itself.

A Theater for the Future.

Today, while the size of The Space's

performance area is nearly identical, and the pentagonal

shape of the room has been maintained, a greater portion

of the audience seating has been moved to the main level,

achieving closer eye contact with the actors while sustain-

ing the sense of intimacy and energy. Five scenic openings

can be open or filled with seats, depending on the produc-

tion needs, and the entire stage floor area over the trap

room can be opened for scenic use. The main entrance

has also been relocated to give The Space its own dedi-

cated lobby, better circulation, improved accessibility and

its own restrooms. Improved acoustical isolation, ventila-

tion, and production capabilities (new accessible dressing

rooms, five new control booths, lighting controls, new stair

to the trap room and improved rigging support) and im-

proved life safety features were included as well.

A refreshed palette also adds warmth through the in-

troduction of wood panels at the front of the mezzanines,

yet retains the “technical” feel of the building through ex-

posed cast concrete and new metal panels lining the the-

atre. New, upgraded seats also provide comfort throughout.

“Original surfaces and finishes were uncovered and re-

stored in creative ways.,” added Courter. “New finishes were

selected specifically to complement, enhance and warm

the added spaces. The result is a seamless blend of the old

and new. This space will carry us in the next 40 years and

we could not have done it without Semple Brown."

A casual glance at this transformed space may not de-

tect the depth of the changes to the building. But the

many new capabilities and offerings of The Space The-

atre will be apparent for years to come, both in the per-

formances mounted in the theater, and the enhanced

experience audience members will enjoy there. The

unique character and dynamic energy of this new the-

ater has prepared Denver’s vibrant performing arts scene

for a new generation.

PHOTOS:

David Lauer Photography

OPENING ART LEFT:

The new lobby floor level replaces the

stairway that formerly guided patrons to a

lower-level entry, allowing access to a new

floor of restrooms.

OPENING ART RIGHT:

The new entry portal gives the Space Theatre

entrance scale and a visual focal point that

also allows for a sound-and-light lock to

isolate the theter from lobby noise

ABOVE:

While the new Space Theatre retains the

five-sided form of the original, it concentrates

more seats at the lower level, which enhances

intimacy. The new, much warmer color palette

provides a neutral background for the scenery

of an in-the-round theater.