'TIMELINE: THEATER'
The new Timeline: Theater draws inspiration from the theater company's mission - promoting dialogue among users by staging historical, culturally relevant, and provocative theater - as well as the rich urban fabric and theatrical past of the Uptown neighborhood.
The renovation and addition to an early 20th Century warehouse on the North side of Chicago is designed to be the new home of Timeline Theater Company as they grow from a single 99 seat theater in a church basement to an entire theatrical building, complete with two new black box theaters seating a total of 400 patrons. Timeline has a unique emphasis on theater based in historical events, viewed through the lens of current socio-political issues; additionally, they curate gallery and experiential exhibitions to help theatergoers engage with these topics. This allows them to promote dialogue about the important issues of our time, between theater-goers, actors, and staff alike. The neighborhood they are moving into has its own rich history as well as social issues, from being the heart of entertainment in Chicago during the 1920's, to the mid-century waves of Asian immigration that gave the neighborhood it's nickname "Little Vietnam," to the ongoing struggle against gentrification. With the new building, the stage is set for dialogue between the existing community and its new theater tenants.
Taking inspiration from the found and forgotten spaces between buildings in the dense urban fabric, the building places public space at the core, expanding and contracting in scale much like the alleys themselves. Conversation nooks are tucked into the walls to create space for intimate dialogue, while also potentially serving as exhibition space. Formally, the new theater boxes also engage in a dialogue with the existing building through the structural elements of the center atrium and playing off of its materiality. Traditional theater elements are also a reference point for the new theater - a contemporary marquee creates an outdoor entry space upon arrival, back-lit by the perforated brick facade of the new theater that flashes and glows like the lights on a traditional theater sign. Elsewhere, articulated brick patterns reference the subtle adornments of the theater boxes in the palatial theaters just a few blocks down Broadway. Just as Timeline does with its performances, the building seeks to contemporize historical elements to spark important conversations.
Location: Chicago, IL
Year: 2019
Type: Studio Project
Collaboration with Jolie Dunlap.
SEE MORE:
