Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 1984 - 12

communications and all phases of the
work. Finally, considering the scope of
the project, there were relatively few
gray areas in terms of responsibility and
follow-through. Probably the most
significant problem that developed in
this regard was one of contractual oversight, in which final design and bid documents responsibility was not properly
assigned for providing full design services on the orchestra shell.
Among the working methods we
found to be most helpful was insistence
on constant sketching out of all options. This is seemingly obvious for an

spent in client-consultation decision
sessions, we made very good use of a
"Design Development Notebook" put
together by TBP. Meant to accompany
the Design Development drawings, this
50-page document recorded in great detail all decisions on design guidelines,
materials, critical dimensions, technical
considerations, etc., along with the
planning history as to how the decision
evolved. Perhaps most important of
all, it is a record of design team agreements and what the client has been
promised.
Another feature of our working

changed from a vision of an essentially
conventional $30 million building (for
Phase I) to what is now a $47 million
facility containing much more than first
programmed and in a much more innovative package.

Conclusion
Is The Center a step forward in
"state-of-the-art" theatre design? Will
the multi-use ideal be fully achieved?
Obviously, the actual critique will come
from a much more objective source
when the complex is open and being put
to the test by patrons, artists, techni-

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architect-consultant team and yet the
willingness to fully visualize a problem
or solution in a drawing was by no
means automatic. A theatre design
team needs to work with a richness and
completeness of information, and the
project managers need to push for constant updating of drawings and revisions. Good note-taking and keeping
of project history is also an art. After
the massive data collection resulting
from research trips, memoranda, squatters, and after thousands of man-hours
10

process was the involvement of the contractor, C. L. Peck, who was brought
into the design picture from the first
day. This was a benefit on countless occasions, such as in considerations of
construction techniques, scheduling,
and availability of materials. Peck produced cost estimates at several stages
from late schematics on through bid
documents, giving the owners a timely
picture of the evolving cost story.
Thus, with the owner's approval, the
early guess during programming

Thealre Design & Technology /USITT /Sullllller 1984

cians, and staff. And any architectural
successes will, as always, be in the eye
of the beholder. But I do not believe we
will see anything like a Sydney Opera
House here, for example, where some
marvelous forms were bought at the
price of vital stagehouse and wing
spaces and functions. And I do not believe we will see the need for major corrections as in the Vivian Beaumont
Theatre, Avery Fisher Hall, or even
Davies Hall. This particular design
team has, I believe, probably come

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