The City of Burlington wished to have a performing and visual arts complex to anchor its downtown revitalization and to provide a venue for the broadest possible range of community activities. In selecting the long vacant Paramount Theater as the site, they faced the challenge of a facility that had no back-of-the-house area whatsoever, and had front-of-the-house space that was woefully inadequate. Additionally, the building was technically obsolete and had significant universal accessibility challenges. A local historic property, the building therefore needed to respond to those added regulations.
By acquiring an adjacent 2,000 square foot single-story commercial building, the space necessary to create an expanded lobby was made available. A 2,400 square foot addition was constructed at the rear of the building to provide the badly needed back-of-the-house space. Because the building had remnants of an Art Deco interior, the design reinterpreted that historic style in all of the detailing of the interior.
The newly renovated 350-seat theater facility now provides a lobby that doubles as a gallery and community gathering space, and the back-of-the-house addition allows a quick turnaround for groups moving in and out of the performance space.
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