The Buxton Center for Bainbridge Performing Arts
Location
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Owner
Bainbridge Performing Arts
General Contractor: Carley Construction
Acoustics, A/V and Theater Planning: Arup
Theater Planning: Shalleck Collaborative Inc.
Structural Engineering: Lund Opsahl LLC
MEP Engineering: PAE Consulting Engineers
Civil Engineering: Saez Consulting Engineers
Landscape Architecture: Groundswell Studio
Lighting Design: Luma Lighting Design
Project Size
New area: 5,400 square feet
Renovated area: 11,300 square feet
Seating Capacity
219 auditorium
Project Status
Completed
Services
Architecture, Interior Design, Planning, Renovation + Adaptive Reuse
LMN was commissioned to study the expansion of the Center, starting with a prioritization process that involved key staff and Board representatives to align the program with the available financial resources. Function spaces required to address artistic and community needs were identified and coalesced into a building program.
The Buxton Center for the Bainbridge Performing Arts is the renovation and addition of the 1992 building, revitalizing a beloved community theater into an inviting place for performers, patrons, staff, and the greater arts community. The renewed Buxton Center aims to strengthen the public connection within the downtown—creating a cultural and civic campus, including City Hall, Town Square and its weekly farmer’s market, the Buxton Center, and the Historical Museum.
Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, the addition includes a multi-purpose studio theater that will serve as rehearsal, classroom or performance space, and a new two-story lobby and bar, balconies, box office, expanded restrooms and administrative spaces. The redesign of the auditorium includes improved sightlines and accessibility for all patrons, a reconfigured seating bowl with sound locks, and new finishes and lighting, while the back-of-house spaces receive upgrades to building systems.
Photography: Lara Swimmer
