The program for the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts [the Wallis] designed by Studio Pali Fekete architects, was to transform the Historic Post Office Site into a cultural center for the performing arts including, the 500 seat Goldsmith Theatre, the 120 seat Lovelace Studio Theatre, an education wing, administrative offices, café, gift shop, sculpture garden, education court and a state of the art performing arts support spaces.
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts: Conventional wisdom had the main programmatic element [500 seat theatre] inserted into the original mail workroom of the historic post office and adding a wing to house all the other pertinent programmatic elements. We thought of a new way.
Photography by © John Edward Linden Photography
It was our contention to re-utilize the historic post office without major alterations by inserting the ancillary programmatic elements within it and building an annex to house the new 500 seat Goldsmith Theatre.
This resulted in a better use of space and a better site utilizationfor the Wallis Annenberg center for the performing arts. Furthermore, it required fewer modifications to the historic aspects of the original historic post office. This concept enabled us to fully restore the major elements of the post office’s historic fabric utilizing the Secretary of Interior Standards while maintaining eligibility and historic tax credit status.
Photography by © John Edward Linden Photography
Project Info
Architects: Studio Pali Fekete architects
Location: California, United States
Founding Principal: Zoltan Pali
Preservation Architect: Historic Resources Group
Historic Tax Credit: Historic Resources Group
Theater Consultant: Schuler Shook
Acoustic Consultant: Jaffe Holden Acoustics
Structural Engineering: Structural Focus
Mechanical/ Electrical/ Plumbing: ARC Engineering
Civil Engineer: Rothman Engineering, Inc
Audio/Video Consultant: Electrosonic Design Consulting
Lighting: HLB Lighting
Contractor: Matt Construction Company
Cost: $75 million
Area: 60000.0 ft2
Year: 2013
Type: Cultural Center
Photographs: John Edward Linden Photography, Roland Halbe
