Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects

    • Projects
    • ODC Theater Center
    Exterior
    Learn More
    Exterior
    Learn More
    Building Exterior
    Learn More
    Building Exterior
    Learn More
    Building Exterior
    Learn More
    Building Exterior
    Learn More
    Building Exterior
    Learn More
    Building Exterior
    Learn More
    Aerial Photography
    Learn More
    Learn More
    Performance
    Learn More
    Performance
    Learn More
    Interior
    Learn More
    Learn More
    Interior Detail
    Learn More
    Model
    Learn More
    Demolition Plan
    Learn More
    Ground Floor Plan
    Learn More
    Second Floor Plan
    Learn More
    Third Floor Plan
    Learn More
    Building Section
    Learn More
    Building Section
    Learn More
    • Photography
    • Drawings
    • Models

    ODC Theater Center

    Status

    Completed, 2010

    Size

    13,000 SF

    Client

    ODC Dance

    Scope

    Renovation, Addition

    Project Team

    Mark Cavagnero
    Christian Whopperer
    Kang Kiang
    Dennis Scott
    Laura Blake
    Brandon Joo
    John Fung

    Project Collaborators

    General Contractor: Oliver & Company
    Civil Engineer: Van Maren & Associates
    Structural Engineer:  Jon Brody Structural Engineers
    Mechanical Engineers: LMR Consulting Mechanical Engineers
    Electrical Engineers: Silverman & Light Consulting
    Acoustical Consultant: Charles M. Salter Associates
    Theater Consultant:  Shalleck Collaborative Inc.

    Description

    Located on a corner site in San Francisco’s Mission District, a converted 1909 box factory served as ODC’s home since 1981. After initially exploring a modest renovation, ODC saw the opportunity to expand its facilities and more fully achieve its long-standing goal of providing an international center for contemporary dance and performance on the West Coast.

    The renovation of the historic building dramatically increased the existing theater’s height and volume and introduced natural light, while addressing preservation and code requirements. Enhanced flexibility and acoustics, as well as sprung wood floors and a seating structure capable of doubling as a performance set, further elevate the venue’s stature as a creative hub. The three-story studio building replaced an earlier two-story addition and incorporates three large studio classrooms, a green room, support spaces, and a café. The café and theater lobby unify the project’s contemporary and historic components and, through their transparency, strengthen ODC’s connection to the neighborhood.

    Accommodating this enriching, expanded mix of uses on such a small urban site required close collaboration between the architects, the engineering team and city officials. A steel frame structure, with trusses that recall the box factory’s original heavy wood beams, stabilizes the historic brick building while supporting the expanded theater volume and administrative offices above. Within the theater, steel mesh panels distinguish the new structure from the old, and conceal absorptive material that improves the space’s acoustics.

    Location

    Recognition

    Awards

    AIA San Francisco, Excellence in Architecture Merit Award, 2012
    San Francisco Business Times, Best Cultural Project, 2011

    Publications

    New York Times, October 4, 2010
    Dwell, October 1, 2010
    San Francisco Chronicle, October 2, 2010
    San Francisco Business Times, March 25, 2011
    San Francisco Examiner, September 18, 2010