Cultural and Civic Expertise

We are committed to advancing the ways in which architecture speaks to the spirit of our cultural art forms. The experience of a cultural arts facility is defined by a continuing interaction between the architecture and the people who use it—the building must support this interaction on many levels. It must be technically and functionally flexible to accommodate various activities in all of its spaces, and it must be architecturally engaging in ways that inspire a diverse community of users to participate.

Our cultural and civic facility work encompasses more than 50 projects, including performing arts centers, museums, libraries and other government buildings. We focus on projects that support a rich diversity of uses and creation of design solutions that actively engage their settings. We seek to make connections between the individual users, the program, the specific place and an increasingly global society. Civic buildings can bring growing national and international connections to cultural

institutions and local communities, expanding the relevance of their artistic purpose, cultural heritage and urban condition in the great tradition of civic architecture.

Our performing arts work embraces the convergence of acoustical, theatrical, and architectural design issues. We possess a comprehensive understanding of the complex technical requirements, and how to successfully lead a highly interactive, collaborative design process. An important aspect of our approach has been to break down traditional barriers between artistic event and building context, integrating the experience of the performance with the experience of the place. We have evolved this approach through more than 30 performing arts projects, including facilities for symphony, opera, ballet, dramatic theater, Broadway productions, and many other types of performance uses.

Expertise

> Cultural
> Convention Centers
> Education
> Campus Planning

> Science & Technology
> Sports
> Transportation
> Mixed-Use and Residential

> Office
> Interiors
> Urban Design

Related Links

• > Benaroya Hall
• > Marion Oliver McCaw Hall
• > Conrad Prebys Music Center