The Signature Center is entered from the sidewalk on 42nd Street, as shown on the right of this image, under a glass canopy that will protect patrons from the elements and identify the Center with signage.  This sculptural design element will give the Center a strong presence and sense of arrival.  The street level lobby is compact and visually dominated by a plywood clad stairway that will lead to a gracious upper lobby and then to the three theatres.  The box office is set within the form of the stairway at the street level.  Large-scale graphics on the lobby walls will communicate Signature’s mission and history, as well as feature images and testimony of Signature’s current Playwrights-in-Residence and other participating artists.

“The End Stage” is the largest of the 3 theatres in the Center with 299 seats.  It is the most similar to the Peter Norton Space, the company’s current home.  A straight rake of seating rises from the stage edge and is contained within plywood walls that give the space a subtle architectural expression. The shaped panels of the walls will be painted to fade to black as they approach the stage, creating a transition from the architectural space of the room to the scenic space of the play.  A large doorway will connect this theatre to the lobby.  The closing of this door will indicate that the play is about to begin. “The Courtyard” is a 199-seat flexible theatre.  The courtyard form, which has a long history in the development of theatre, will give this space distinction from the other two theatres.  This theatre can be used in an endstage format, as a modified thrust stage, a runway center stage configuration, or in a flat floor format for experimental work.  Each of these configurations has a second level gallery that seats patrons in a single line overlooking the stage.  This small theatre will place patrons in a very intimate relationship with the actors.   “The Jewel Box” is the most intimate of the three theatres, and has 199 seats. The intent of this space is to pull the patrons as close as possible to the stage, creating a compression that will allow for an intense and intimate theatre experience. This theatre has a single balcony and is reminiscent of a tiny opera house.  This room has the most articulated architectural expression with shaped plywood panels framing the proscenium, wrapping around the balcony front and creating a ceiling under the lighting bridges above the house.  These panels will be stained a deep chocolate brown that will disappear as the house is faded to black.  Each of the three theatres has a unique form and expression to give the Playwrights-in-Residence a choice of theatre that will best suit their work.

All images provided by Gehry Architects, New York.