PORT THEATER RENOVATION
CORONA DEL MAR, CA
Since the 1950s the Port Theater has served as a local movie house. The Port flourished as a venerable part of the community – a place for the Saturday matinee, the Friday night date, an entertainment center, and a source of community pride. Recognizing the focal point that independent theaters hold in communities, the Newport Beach City Council passed an ordinance assigning Landmark Building status to the Port. The design concept developed by the client and the firm restores an iconic venue to a prestigious place in the community while artfully reshaping and re-imaging the facility to match the aesthetic interests and diverse constituencies. The new Port Theater will provide a sizable, yet intimate, venue with event flexibility and the latest media technology in an upscale, stylish atmosphere. The functionality combined with the location and unique facility design offers a novel alternative for public and private events. The re-imagined theater will be a showplace, as much a part of the new identity of this re-emerging district as the original Port was to creating the community’s lifestyle.