Madrid Theatre

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Madrid Theatre

Location: Canoga Park, CA

Type: Arts & Entertainment
Civic

Awards: 2000 Society of American Registered Architects Design Award of Honor

2000 AIA-SFV Citation Award

1999 Southern California Development Award

1998 Valley Development Forum’s Community Enrichment Award

We were the Architect for this 11,000 sq. ft. building for the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency. Constructed on a 50 x 140 ft. site, the Madrid Theatre may be the world’s largest performing arts center on the smallest site!

It houses 500 for symphony, dance and musical performances and can be sized down to 250 for more intimate dramatic plays. Support spaces are a lesson in minimalism due to size constraints. Moving pocketed drapes allow for variable acoustics from .75 (for Shakespeare) to 1.6 seconds (for symphony).
The side walls are scalloped with corrugated metal to prevent overlapping sound waves. There is a catwalk system over the house and stage for theatrical lighting positions and for the spot flying of sets. The stage is configured as an orchestra shell that can also receive sets. The catenary curve in the roof/ceiling optimizes sound disbursement.