The Warehouse Theatre

Awarded: AIA Greenville, Merit Award, 1999

When board members of The Warehouse Theatre searched for a new location, they naturally took to the historic West End, a budding arts and theatre district in Greenville, SC, and purchased three historic storefronts.

Our firm first renovated the historic buildings to their original appearance. Additions combining the structures are composed of traditional masonry units with exposed steel trusses, reflecting the warehouse structures associated with the West End. Large windows along a gallery allow people to view the audience waiting inside the lobby. Above the windows, a framework of fabric banners announces the processional entrance, shades the gallery, and pays homage to the historical aspect of the textile industry centralized in the West End.

Patrons enter a lobby, traditional in feel with an ornamental tin ceiling, skylight, and wood floors. The gallery takes on the role of a stage for the audience. The theatre entrance wall, patterned concrete floor, and suspended, perforated ceiling create a backdrop across from a wall of windows. A lighting system controlled by multiple dimmer panels creates various lighting arrangements for performances.

While the design builds upon the past, it incorporates features to ensure a pleasurable experience for the audience and the theatre’s continued success. Upon completion, this project was approved by the Board of Architectural Review as a sensitive complement to the historic district.