The People’s Theatre has opened a new 19,000-square-foot performing arts center in Manhattan’s Inwood neighborhood following completion by Shawmut Design and Construction.
Known as Centro Cultural Inmigrante, the facility at 419 W. 206th St. held its ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 15. The venue is designed to accommodate live music, theater, dance, film and community events.
Designed by WORKac with Charcoalblue serving as theater and acoustic consultant, the facility includes a two-level lobby, flexible mainstage theater, studio theater, five rehearsal studios, a soundproof practice room and gallery area.
The mainstage, including its balcony, uses a freestanding steel structure separated from the building’s base structure to reduce vibration and sound transfer. The structure incorporates a floating slab and columns supported on acoustic pads.
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing components were also installed with vibration isolation measures to address the theater’s acoustic requirements.
The construction required detailed sequencing for steel, framing, drywall and mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations. Shawmut used 360-degree imaging and 3D technology to coordinate construction within the building’s core and shell.
MEP systems were coordinated in three dimensions to manage the multiple installation requirements while maintaining the project’s acoustic objectives.
The project also involved a broad group of suppliers, vendors and trade partners. According to Shawmut, 59% of those businesses were minority-, women-, local- or immigrant-owned.
Specialized performing arts facilities require construction teams to coordinate structural, architectural and building-system work with demanding acoustic requirements. The Centro Cultural Inmigrante project demonstrates how independent structural construction, vibration isolation and digital coordination can be integrated into a theater project within an existing urban setting.
Source: Shawmut.
