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11-27 The Seasons

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THE SEASONS PERFORMANCE HALL

Yakima, WA

 

The 1921 Seasons Performance Hall is a great case study for adaptive reuse of an historic structure. Now in use as a publicly occupied performance facility, it was originally constructed as a church with non-denominational stained-glass windows, a columned entrance and a paned dome atop the brick building. The large main front hall auditorium and rear banquet hall are once again fully utilized and the original oak pews are filled with an appreciative audience.

The challenge for adaptation is typical of this age of facility – preserving the beauty of the architecture while accommodating interior upgrades and today’s code requirements, for barrier free access, fire protection, increase in the provision of restroom facilities and structural review of the building for the intended occupant load. As is also typical under these circumstances, limited drawings were intact from both original construction and subsequent alterations.

 

Traho Architects directed a series of code reviews and meetings with building officials to resolve the various issues, utilizing the International Existing Building Code as a basis for review, complemented by a structural review and the evaluation of numerous options to create the desired addition of an exterior ramp access and interior modifications to provide more toilets and sinks.

We were successfully able to tuck additional restrooms into the building without compromising exterior wall or window conditions; add an accessible restroom; develop an exterior ramp that leads to an interior ramp servicing the performance hall; build in new gift shop and hospitality cabinetry to match existing wood detailing; complete fire code compliance; limit the number of people attending events; replace flooring; and begin a phased project of updating lighting to meet staging demands.

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