Daniel PAINTER

Daniel J Painter

THE BEAM THEATER A mid-sized theater complex Don Jones : Advisor

STATE STREET BALTIMORE PIKE

MEDIA at a Glance A quick look at Media will reveal two major forces at work: the automobile and the pedestrian. State Street is the major pedestrian avenue of the town, and the streetscape is designed as such. Baltimore Pike is the automobile thoroughfare of Media, and its streetscape reflects that paradigm. The relationship between these forces is symbiotic, but this site is defined by the tension between them.

The site itself adds further tension between the grades of Baltimore Pike and State Street (plus 6 feet). The retaining wall of the old Media Inn gives clues towards the resolution of this tension.

PROGRAM Main Auditorium: 8,000-10,000 sf Backstage Greenroom Sound Booth Bar Seating Small Venue: 3,000 sf Audience—2000 Bar—750 Stage—500 Backstage—250 Support: 4,000 sf Kitchen—750 Loading—500 Rehearsal/Broadcast—1,500 Recording Suite—1250 Parking: 95 spaces OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE AREA TOTAL NET: 15,000-17,000 sf TOTAL SF: 23,000-27,000 sf

Resolving the PROGRAM This site is too large for the program to be able to meet each force at their source. Just as there are three major forces at work, though, there are three major components to the program: the large venue, the small venue and, due to the suburban nature of the site, parking becomes a major concern.

Breaking up these elements allows each piece to resolve one of the forces working on the site, but it also leaves a void. This void needs to be filled with an element that can bind the elements of the program together. An outdoor performance area could do just that.

Site CHARACTER STRUASS SQUARE—Dallas TX Foster & Partners 2005 Capacity: 5000 As part of the AT&T Performing Arts center in Dallas, Strauss square is an excellent example of how an outdoor venue can work as a part of a larger theater complex. The use of overhead elements to contain the space is a significant influence on the design for Media.

MILLENNIUM PARK, JAY PRITZKER

PAVILLION—Chicago IL Frank Gehry 2004 Capacity: 11,000 Millennium Park has long been heralded as a great example of urban park design. Another outdoor performance space with overhead elements binding the space, it is still completely open to the ever-changing sky, allowing its character to be as fluid as the weather without being overwhelming.

PROCESS

FALL REVIEW This early scheme establishes the site layout and relationship between the program elements and the site. Much of the development that was based on refining these relationships, as well as how each element works individually and collectively.

TECHNICAL REVIEW The development of the Main Venue was the focus at this stage of the project. Creating a dynamic, substantial yet intimate space created challenges in circulation, visibility, structure, acoustics, materiality and energy that needed to be solved. But while the main venue was the focus, all of the program elements underwent significant changes as they became more integrated with each other and with the site.

TECHNICAL REVIEW

FINAL REVIEW This Beam Theater complex reacts to the contrasting yet symbiotic nature of the two main streets in Media, Pa. The site is too large to simultaneously interface with the pedestrian-focused State Street to the north and the vehicular-focused Baltimore Ave to the south with a single building. Rather, the main features of the program are separated so that they can meet these streets on their own terms while creating an outdoor venue that becomes an amenity, and a landmark to the town.

SITE PLAN - Baltimore Pike Level

SITE PLAN - State Street Level

SITE PLAN - Upper Levels

PERSPECTIVE RENDERINGS

SECTION PERSPECTIVE

SITE PERSPECTIVES

DIAGRAMS

DIGITAL MODEL A tangent effort during this project was the development o walkable, fully rendered digital model. Using advanced modeling and game engine software, the project came to life in an engaging new way.

outdoor spaces. More subtlety was needed to guide visitors to the site through the designed The process of developing this project alongside circulation and to help them identify and way-find others with the same program and site gave us all the important places. The drawings themselves the ability to constantly refine and test our ideas. It should also communicate more to that end. was inevitable that our schemes would borrow from one another, but each had its own core driver. In I had high expectations at the start of this project my case, it was engaging Media on it’s own terms both in the ability to combine music and and creating an amenity to the town, an idea architecture (two driving influences in my life and which was supported by both my advisor and jurors. education) and the opportunity to explore new They stressed, though, that the project would be technologies in architectural representation. Both made or broken by the way the program elements were achieved, although never at the scope I had But my desire to continue and the site worked together. If they could work in hoped early on. harmony, my ideas could be wonderfully achieved. exploring both avenues has only grown, and I If they were disjointed, the site would quickly fall into expect the future will contain opportunities to deepen my knowledge of and engagement in disuse. both.

I kept this in mind as I tried to weave together the different buildings, levels and pathways across the site, and ultimately the design was greeted with Daniel J Painter June 2016 positivity at the final review. The close attention I had paid to integrating the project into Media with the placement of my buildings, locations of pathways and entrances, and with forms and materiality had paid off. However, the jurors were unanimous in their criticism of the clarity of the design intent to the end user, especially in the

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