Coronado High School, Performing Arts Center

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Firm

DLR Group

Client

Colorado Springs School District 11

Area

24,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$3,700,000

Completion Date

08/2008

The architect’s performance at the Coronado High School Performing Arts Center raised the roof … literally. Designers were challenged with transforming a wornout lecture hall on a restricted site into a modern performing-arts theater. The final product is what Colorado Springs School District 11 refers to as its premier performing-arts center.

Constructed in 1972, the 350-seat lecture hall was inadequate for this 1,800-student high school. The facility is surrounded by classrooms and at the heart of the campus, so the district opted for an upward vs. outward expansion.

A balcony addition more than doubles the capacity to 800 seats. Designers incorporated steep risers, resembling seating at a ball field or stadium to provide perfect sightlines for audiences in the balcony.

Upgrades include a new orchestra pit and state-of-the-art rigging, acoustic and lighting systems. The orchestra pit features a filler that serves as an extension of the stage, enabling drama performers to be closer to the audience when the orchestra pit is not in use.

The green room, a large open space adjacent to the stage where performers prepare before entering the stage, also doubles as a classroom for performing arts.