CASE STUDY

Brick-Faced Precast Concrete Panels Help Rehabilitate Allen Theatre

Brick-faced precast concrete panels proved to be the most efficient and cost-effective method to rehabilitate the 80-year-old Allen Theatre in , . The rehabilitation program included renovating the existing stagehouse public areas to their former glory while adding new performance areas to accommodate large-scale, high tech, Broadway- style productions. A total of 218 architectural precast panels, comprising 30,400 sq ft (2830 m2) of surface area, were used on this project. The 12 in. (305 mm) thick panels are composed of 6 in. (152 mm) structural concrete, 2 in. (51 mm) rigid insulation, and 4 in. (102 mm) architectural Tim Huffman, AIA concrete embedded with face brick. This article presents the conceptual Project Architect aspects of the renovation program, design features of the architectural GSI Architects, Inc. Cleveland, Ohio precast panels, erection highlights, and economic considerations of the project.

ack in the Roaring Twenties, renovation and expansion to bring the when vaudeville and silent facility up to modern standards. Bmovies were the rage of Amer- Because of the historical signifi- ica, the old Allen Theatre in Cleveland, cance of the theatre building, in 1990, Ohio, was a major center of entertain- the owner retained GSI Architects, ment. The theatre building, built in Inc., to perform a feasibility study 1921, was distinguished and ornate, with the objective of bringing back and was a popular venue not only for the theatre to its former stature. It was the people of Cleveland but also for recognized that for the theatre to ac- John Ciulis, P.E. visitors from other parts of the country. commodate large-scale, high-tech, Vice President With the passage of time, the ex- Broadway-style productions, the ex- National Precast, Inc. terior part of the building underwent isting public portion of the facility Roseville, Michigan considerable deterioration from corro- would have to be completely restored, sion and natural weathering. Also, the and that new performance areas would interior of the theatre needed major have to be added.

64 PCI JOURNAL Fig. 1. Interior of theatre showing deterioration of architectural detailing, illusionistic false windows, figurated panels and lavish artwork.

Fig. 2. Interior of theatre after the restoration work had taken place.

July-August 2000 65 Fig. 3. Stage and orchestra level plan showing new construction in relation to existing building.

66 PCI JOURNAL Fig. 4. Corner elevations of building showing brick pattern. For Sections A and B, see 5.

July-August 2000 67 The public portion of the building is accessed through a lobby within an office building along a major bou- levard in . The theatre contained a wealth of exqui- site architectural detailing, including illusionistic false windows, figurated panels and lavish artwork (see Fig. 1). The purpose of the renovation was to retain that image with meticulous cleaning and repair, relighting side boxes, replacing plaster moldings and paint restoration based upon exten- sive historical research (see Fig. 2). The existing stagehouse had to be demolished due to insufficient stage size, lack of dressing rooms and min- imal backstage support areas required for today’s large-scale productions. This provided an opportunity to cre- ate a new structure that could enhance the theatre-goer’s experience, pro- mote further development of Cleve- land’s Theatre District, and improve Fig. 5. Cross section of sandwich wall panel showing also corner detail of panel. the city’s political and cultural image. Fig. 3 shows a plan of the proposed new construction in relation to the existing theatre building. Today, most stagehouses are treated solely as a functional component to the interior theatre experience. Early on in the planning stage, it was rec- ognized that approximately one-half of the patrons approached the The- atre District from the backside of the theatre complex enroute to the main entrance. As a result, the design and materials specified for the exte- rior enclosure walls required special attention to fit contextually with its neighboring structures, generate ex- citement from passersby, support a tight construction schedule and be cost effective. The modified stagehouse would be 106 ft 2 in. wide x 52 ft 8 in. deep x 108 ft 3 in. high (32.36 x 16.05 x 32.99 m) while the backstage addition was designed to be 106 ft 2 in. wide x 64 ft 3 in. deep x 32 ft high (32.36 x 19.58 x 9.75 m). Based upon the existing theatre’s brick façade and the neighboring buildings, the architect and owner unanimously decided that brick-faced precast concrete panels, in compatible colors along with concrete accents, would be used to clad the exterior of Fig. 6. Cross section of connection between panel and steel frame. both the stagehouse and backstage

68 PCI JOURNAL addition. A 5 ft 4 in. (1.62 m) modu- lar grid pattern was devised to pro- vide visual and textural excitement while reducing the building’s mass to a human scale. A total of 218 panels, comprising 30,400 sq ft (2830 m2) of surface area, were needed. The 12 in. (305 mm) thick pan- els are composed of 6 in. (152 mm) structural concrete, 2 in. (51 mm) rigid insulation, and 4 in. (102 mm) architectural concrete embedded with face brick. The bricks are 2 in. (51 mm) thick soaps in three colors with flat and radiused faces. The modular bands were offset 1 in. (25.4 mm) outside of the field brick to provide textural relief and to disguise the joint locations. Fig. 7. Demolition of stagehouse. The brick pattern of the building is shown in the two corner elevations (see Fig. 4). Fig. 5 shows typical cross sections of the sandwich wall panel. Fig. 6 shows a cross section of the connection between the panel and steel frame. The brick colors were sensitively selected to complement the existing theatre’s orange brick color, as well as the variety of red and brown bricks observed on surrounding buildings. Accent banding and medallions were simply created by exposing specific areas of architectural concrete to simulate limestone, also found on adjacent buildings. The insulated precast panels were fabricated in a variety of sizes, the largest being 10 ft 8 in. wide x 24 ft Fig. 8. Precast panel erection onto backstage addition. high (3.25 x 7.32 m). The 5 ft 4 in. x 5 ft 4 in. x 10 ft 8 in. high (1.63 x 1.63 x 3.25 m) corner panels were uniquely fabricated with two separate castings to avoid undesirable vertical joints at or near the building corners. Plastic pins were used to tie the con- crete wythes together and to provide a complete thermal break between them. Special brick shapes were utilized for aesthetic purposes and to avoid unsightly edge conditions around the openings. Each panel was meticu- lously planned, drawn and approved before fabrication. Fabrication oc- curred in a factory-controlled, qual- ity-conscious environment. Since most of the activities at the theatre occur in the evening, exterior Fig. 9. Precast panels partially installed on exterior of backstage addition.

July-August 2000 69 Fig. 10. lighting became an integral design Side view of consideration. Existing street and completed nearby parking luminaires only pro- stagehouse. vided adequate lighting for security purposes. The upper portion of the stagehouse was then lit with 18 cus- tom-designed scallop-shaped precast concrete sconces. These 4 ft 8 in. wide x 2 ft high x 1 ft 4 in. deep (1.42 x 0.61 x 0.41 m) sconces were mounted on the panel at the plant, and the lights were in- stalled and tested at the jobsite before being hoisted into place. The design dramatically illuminates the cornice, serving as a beacon for approaching patrons, and has been an inspiration to spur further development around the Theatre District. The precast panels were manu- factured by National Precast, Inc., in Roseville, Michigan. They were transported by truck-trailer to the project site, a distance of about 200 miles (324 km). The precaster was also responsible for the transporta- tion and erection of the panels. To satisfy a fast track construc- tion schedule, the exterior enclosure had to be erected during the winter months. Since the precast panel sys-

Fig. 11. Completed view of stagehouse and existing parking structure.

70 PCI JOURNAL Fig. 12. Night-time view of completed stagehouse. tem is flexible and has an all-year The cost of manufacturing, transport- also avoided expensive drywall as- erection capability, it became an ob- ing and erecting the precast panels sembly costs associated with metal vious scheduling advantage over tra- was $1.25 million. panel systems. ditional masonry methods. The project was completed in Oc- During the last two years since the While the panels were being manu- tober 1998. Figs. 10, 11, and 12 show Allen Theatre has been rehabilitated, factured, the old stagehouse was de- completed views of the renovated the- the facility has regained its popular- molished (see Fig. 7) and the new steel atre building. ity. The performing companies, the- frame was erected. The precast panels atre patrons and general public are were transported, staged off-site, and COST SAVINGS enjoying the restored theatre. Indeed, then sequentially delivered as needed the new theatre has already become a for erection. From two separate posi- Approximately $100,000 was saved major downtown landmark in the city tions, a large crane was used to hoist by using the precast panel system over of Cleveland. the panels in place, allowing workers traditional masonry systems and metal to make connections and final adjust- panel systems. The reduced sched- CREDITS ments. The panels were attached to ule, alone, saved additional significant the steel frame in an efficient and easy money. The precast system avoided Owner: Foundation, operation. This installation was ac- immense scaffolding costs (in a busy Cleveland, Ohio complished over a six-week period downtown area), minimized the use of Architect: GSI Architects, Inc., Cleve- under normal winter conditions. To field labor and eliminated the need for land, Ohio 3 accommodate volume changes, a /4 in. additional interior finishes. Most of Designer: Celso Gilberti, GSI Archi- (19 mm) joint was allowed between the back faces were exposed with an tects, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio the panels. aesthetically pleasing broom finish. Structural Engineer, GSI Architects, Figs. 8 and 9 show partial installa- Five strategically located panels Inc., Cleveland, Ohio tion of precast panels onto the back- around the stage were required to have Construction Manager: Turner Con- stage addition. The jobsite was easily smooth finishes to avoid potential struction Company, Cleveland, Ohio accessible for other trades to simulta- snags to performer costumes. Panels Precast Concrete Manufacturer: Na- neously perform other work. situated along property lines were re- tional Precast, Inc., Roseville, Mich- The total cost of new construction quired to possess a two-hour fire rat- igan and renovation was about $16 million. ing. The inherently fire-rated panel

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