Performative Millwork: The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre

Traditional project delivery methods rely on a linear process. The flaw of this linear process is that neither Trahan Architects nor CW Keller benefits from either parties learned knowledge. It was critical for this project’s success that everyone agree this process was outdated and would harm the final product. Rather than a linear work flow, our team adopted augmented reality integration. There was constant sharing and updating of information at every step of the delivery process. This circular feedback allowed CW Keller to notify Trahan Architects and the contractor of potential clashes in the field, which in turn enabled the architects to adjust the geometry of the millwork layouts to prevent those clashes. Laser scanning and projection provided the key to this process.

About the millwork

The primary challenges of fabricating the millwork scope for this theater project were:

1. working with Matthias Pliessnig to accurately translate the material properties of hand steam-bent millwork into a digital environment
2. synthesizing the acoustic properties for spoken word theater
3. working with CW Keller to mass produce steam-bent millwork with 1/32nd tolerances and crafting a production process that minimized waste

Trahan Architects, Matthias Pliessnig, and CW Keller leveraged a series of 1:1 mockups to define a database of material behaviors, achievable curvatures, material saving jigs, and acoustic strategies. The resulting design, which synthesizes both aesthetic and acoustic properties, required a fabrication workflow which merged hand-crafted steam bending with complex 3D laser projection and laser scanning. Trahan Architects developed scripting techniques to provide layouts of over 100,000 linear feet of millwork slat centerlines to the fabricator. The result is a series of beautiful steam-bent millwork guardrails and balconies that merge handcraft with mass production. The synthesis of acoustic performance, hand-driven artistry, and sophisticated laser positioning are all carefully choreographed to execute the complex steam-bent millwork without the need for wasteful CNC molds. Delivered for $350/sq ft, the product has proven to be both economical and stunning.

Owner's statement

By Susan V. Booth, Jennings Hertz Artistic Director, Alliance Theatre

My thought was, let’s dream big…and one thing we identified was a world-class theatre that welcomed everyone, that removed visible and invisible barriers. We had the courage of our aspirations. And the question became: How do we get there? The design, inherently unites each performance's audience into a fostered and connected community, and provides not simply a frame for the work we do, but a graceful conduit for the work to land in the heads and hearts of those folks.