The adaptive reuse of the 1,300,000-square-foot historic Sears building (1927), through a remarkable collaboration of a non-profit arts-based organization with regional and national partners has led to the creation of Crosstown Concourse, a dynamic “vertical urban village” of residential, commercial, retail, health and wellness, arts and culture, and education. A new flexible ~420-seat theatre was developed to support Crosstown Concourse and the surrounding Memphis community. The theater can transform from endstage to flat floor using retractable seating risers and a seating pit, and is fitted with a fly system and adjustable acoustics to support a range of programs from film, drama, live music, dance, and lectures. Akustiks provided the acoustical design of the theater and worked closely with a local artist – Ben Butler benbutlerart.com to develop a unique acoustical diffusion solution of hand-cut raw poplar wood that can be seen throughout the theater. Akustiks also provided a comprehensive audio and video design solution to support the full range of programs envisioned by Crosstown Concourse.
Project Location: Memphis, TN
Client Name: Crosstown LLC
Project Name: Crosstown Theater
Architect: LRK / Spatial Affairs Bureau
Theatre Consultant: Theatre Projects
Project Year: 2018
Project Size: ~420 seat Flexible Theater
Project Cost: US $10,200,000
Awards
- AIA National Awards, Institute Honor Award for Architecture, 2019
- Urban Land Institute (ULI) Global Awards for Excellence, Finalist, 2019
- AIA Tennessee, Award of Excellence, 2019
- Congress for the New Urbanism Charter Awards, Grand Prize, 2018
- AIA Gulf States, Honor Citation, 2018
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