LEWIS AND CLARK HIGH SCHOOL

Ward Design Group provided architectural consulting and the design of technical systems for restoration and remodeling of an 880 seat high school theatre.

As a part of a complete renovation of the 1912 Lewis and Clark High School in downtown Spokane, the school district undertook a thorough renovation and upgrading of the theatre. Over the years a number of changes had been made to the theatre, including the expansion of the stage toward the auditorium, and the addition of two large organ pipe chambers that filled the stage wings. Community pressure to retain the organ precluded removing it, so Ward Design Group designed new pipe chambers in the auditorium sidewalls, and made various other structural changes to recapture the lost volume in the stage. We restructured the balcony to make sightlines work for the extended forestage and added lighting and sound control rooms at the rear of the balcony.

The result retains the graceful proportions and detailing of the original 1912 auditorium, while bringing sightlines and audience comfort up to present day standards. On stage, Ward Design Group replaced archaic rigging and lighting systems to create a fully functional modern multi-use theatre space for school and community uses.