IRELAND EYE For a highway-side retail park in Galway, Ireland, Douglas Wallace Architects have designed an unusual and refreshing cinema. Views in and out of the building are key parts of the experience, and the theaters themselves are dramatic and artfully crafted, with special attention to detail. A glamorous theatricality reigns both inside and on the exterior facade. This is not your typical multiplex. — Published 2005.1026
	HOLLYWOOD BOWLING The Hollywood Bowl amphitheater became a site for world-class performances over 80 years ago. It was the backdrop for romantic memories and a reflection of the growth of the Los Angeles metropolis. And while the sentimental attachment of Angelinos to this hillside entertainment venue in Bolton Canyon has remained strong, the theater itself has actually changed character many times in the intervening decades. — Published 2004.1020
	DANCES WITH BUILDING Three years ago, when a father and his daughter were looking at colleges and evaluating dance programs, they visited the University of Arizona in Tucson. There they discovered one of the country's best dance programs with one of the worst facilities. The man offered to donate funds for a new dance theater if the university and its College of Fine Arts would each match his gift. The result: the new Stevie Eller Dance Theatre. — Published 2004.0204
	SIOUX CITY ORPHEUM RESTORATION The Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, Iowa was once a grand vaudeville and movie palace. Designed by the famous Chicago architects Rapp and Rapp, it opened in 1927 and boasted spectacular chandeliers, a gold leaf covered dome, and the grandest of lobbies. Over the decades, the theater suffered numerous insensitive remodels but has recently returned spectacularly to life thanks to a dedicated team of restoration expert and craftspeople. — Published 2003.1203
	PLAYING UPON THE STAGE "All the world's a stage," William Shakespeare wrote in As You Like It, but if he were performing in the 21st century, he'd probably take advantage of recent innovations in indoor theater design. In the spirit of the Elizabethan bard, a new building at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland resets the standard for flexibility in repertory theaters. — Published 2002.1113
	KIMMEL CENTER CIVICS The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Philadelphia, designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, presents to the city ample public space, generous concert halls, and a distinctive profile on the city's grand thoroughfare of Broad Street. — Published 2002.0828
	NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM IMAX The new Simons IMAX Theatre at the New England Aquarium presented more than a few construction challenges: Build a highly visible addition to a landmark iconic institution in the middle of downtown Boston's waterfront. Place 60-70 percent of the footprint over water. Create the infrastructure for state-of-the-art 3D theater technology on an extremely constrictive site. Protect neighboring residents from construction noise. Build it fast, on budget ($12.5 million). And, of course, build it well. — Published 2002.0116
	BLACKFRIARS SHAKESPEAREAN PLAYHOUSE The recent opening of the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia marks a tribute to the original Blackfriars, William Shakespeare's favorite indoor theater. The new building's interior displays an authenticity born of extensive research by its architect, Tom McLaughlin, AIA. — Published 2001.1107

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