Theatre in the Park Gateway

For over fifty years, Theatre in the Park has continued a summer theatre tradition, making it a leader in providing audiences throughout the region with quality, affordable entertainment and participants with rewarding artistic opportunities. This project began as a request to fix ADA issues in three of the site’s functions: parking, pedestrian access, and restrooms. During programming, a goal emerged to go beyond code requirements to celebrate aspirational accessibility as a generator of Place. This broader focus spawned the idea of a new Gateway with a plaza that doubles as a destination viewpoint for theatergoers and as a space for community events. The building element is an intuitive, family-friendly restroom that can handle the crowds during intermission and provides a secure amenity for Park visitors when the Theatre is not in use. The design incorporates memorable (and re-memorable) shapes and textures, a unique color scheme, eye-catching graphics, and ever-shifting light patterns. These elements were carefully chosen to increase cognition and establish a distinctly recognizable place, reducing anxiety for visitors of all ages as day transforms into night, and providing an equitable experience for patrons throughout the spectrum of disability. This new Gateway project celebrates the character of the site and is a spatial expression of this longstanding community asset’s inclusive mission.