Northern Stage

Completed August 2015

6.3 Million

Northern Stage is a 240-seat “Modified Thrust” theater located in White River Junction, Vermont. This building represents a cultural institution where theater is thought more about as a craft than as magic. The 16,500SF theater serves as a gathering place for the community, story telling, and educational opportunities.

The town’s historic industrial roots heavily influenced the design of the building. From polished concrete floors, exposed ceilings and mechanical systems, to metal panel siding the building is a mesh between historic industrial and high-class modern design.

The building is organized from east to west with the eastern section of the building facing Gates Street and consisting of the Front of House sections. The center of the building is dedicated to the 240-seat theater and stage and is the heart of the building. Each seat has a completely unobstructed view to the stage, which was designed to be no more than 28 feet away allowing each guest a more personal connection with the story. Around either side of the theater the Back of House section extends to the western portion and is comprised of spaces for the artists, administrators, staff, rehearsal studios, and educational programs.

Viewed from street level the building is surrounded by precast concrete seating walls and a brick patio. The vestibule and box office are surrounded by aluminum storefront allowing approaching guests to interact with the lobby and vestibule from the exterior of the building. A brick entry highlights the front door of the space and uses a similar material to the portion of the building that was replaced by the theater. The rest of the theater is clad in a corrugated metal of two textures that allowed the design team to emphasis the theater mass in juxtaposition against the support spaces around the exterior of the theater. The building masses are allowed to slide, and pass each other creating space for light soffits and shadow lines, this gives the building depth and helps break up the façades larger faces. Industrial sash windows accent the façade and allow a spilling of natural light in and around the support spaces of the theater while keeping the historic industrial reference.

Inside the theater, seats are arranged around a modified thrust style stage. Two light vomitories allow guest to walk up to stage level and provide a symbolic and function entrance to the theater. Above the theater and seating is a Catwalk and tension grid to allow easy access to lights, sound, and theater equipment completely overhead and out of view of the guest below. The grid also allows staff, and artist to suspend and hang props and objects from above to enhance the overall experience of each guest.