Salvage Vanguard Theater

UT Austin School of Architecture, Fall 2016 (Critic: Michael Garrison)

The Salvage Vanguard acting group has long played a vital role in the well-established artistic community east of Interstate 35. Their theater gained a reputation as an intimate setting where casual performances could take place; interaction between thespians and audience members was frequent and the unique shows were well suited in the converted warehouse building it once called home.

Under pressures of gentrification, the performance group has lost the lease to their unique venue. Proposed is a new theater only a few blocks away, reimagining the industrial characteristics of their former home.

With less than a week available to design, a thick envelope was quickly established as the driving strategy; the space frame structure is not only as industrial as its surroundings, but is sturdy and flexible enough to provide for any show imaginable. The consistent elevation shared by the stage and circulation areas not only provides accessible seating, but also allows performances to spread beyond the proscenium arch and surround the audience. Finally, acoustics have been carefully calculated to keep the reverberation time under one second and to ensure that each of the 151 seats will enjoy live sound without flutter echo.