Buxton Center for Bainbridge Performing Arts - Exterior

The Buxton Center for Bainbridge Performing Arts

Location

Bainbridge Island, Washington

Owner

Bainbridge Performing Arts

Collaborators +

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

The Buxton Center provides a new connection to the civic heart of the island by reorienting its entry sequence to the axial plan of Town Square. A wood and glass curtain wall encloses the two-story lobby space, immersing patrons in the lush woodland landscape below a canopy of towering conifers, and at night, creating a welcoming beacon of activity.

A dramatic wave-form roof and ceiling plane of expressed wood structure ties together the new program spaces and gives the building a clear identity. The auditorium has been fully overhauled with a reconfigured seating bowl with sound and light locks, better sightlines, and improved accessibility for all patrons. The Buxton Center is set to reinvigorate the local arts community and continue enriching the cultural heart of Bainbridge Island.