Harper Joy Theatre, Whitman College
Students are walking around with a bounce in their step, strangers are coming in to peek around. The new facility allows us to function more safely and efficiently, and greatly increases our production possibilities. We are delighted.
Christopher Petit
Professor of Theatre
Harper Joy Theatre, Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington
26,000 SF renovation
9,500 SF addition
Client Notes
Transform Whitman's theatre into a prominent facility that welcomes the community and engages with the campus. Elevate the building's quality and efficiency to better reflect the caliber of the work happening within.
Designer Notes
An expanded lobby marks a bright, welcoming entrance to a newly-accessible facility, and a new flexible black box theater supports a wide variety of seating options and production styles. Improved back-of-house spaces, including a new costume shop relocated from the basement to a room filled with natural light, operable windows, and campus views, ensure that the theatre program and its productions are served in their entirety. A new facade of contemporary, low maintenance materials better connects the building to the campus' natural beauty.
Recognition
Featured in Auditoria Annual, 2012
People
Jon Jorgensen / Annie Mahoney / Alexander Lungershausen / Laura Klinger / Tracey Olson
David Keltner, Design Principal
Jane Barker, Project Manager
