Steel spandrel trusses were constructed between the timber columns. The spandrel trusses support a cable-suspension system, which, in turn, supports the curtain wall.

The project’s concrete work was intense, featuring 200,000 sq ft of wall framing and 140,000 sq ft of horizontal elevated deck.

There are 250,000 sq ft of concrete walls in Arena Stage, and more than half were radial or elliptical, with a large portion sloped four degrees out of plumb.

“There was a lot of formwork designed for specific situations,” Conard says.

The project team developed several mock-ups and tests to find the right type of concrete to provide the desired architectural finish. The project team experimented with different mixes, eventually adding a viscosity modifying admixture to create a concrete with a “soupy” finished look.

The final mix contained a large amount of cementitious material, which generated high temperatures during the concrete curing process. To prevent the high temperatures from affecting the performance of the form liners, the project team settled on AZEK board, a type of plastic formed like a sheet of plywood. The material provided a high architectural finish, along with a visible sheen.

As the Cradle Theater’s walls were erected, the four-degree outward slope meant the walls were getting inherently longer. Each level required custom filler pieces to be cut from the AZEK board to infill the increasing gap between each panel.

To allow future connection at the slabs, thousands of dowel bar substitutes were cast in the walls, requiring the team to calculate and subsequently lay out the slab elevations onto the walls months before the slab was framed.

Additional challenges came in meeting the project’s strict acoustic requirements. Beyond the curtain wall system, which was designed to deflect outside noise, the three theaters were designed so that no structure touches another.

All theaters are enclosed by a 3-in. isolation joint. Rubber pads span connections to absorb vibrations and limit ambient noise.

Inside, the Cradle Theater is lined with stained poplar panels that have been bent in a scientifically calculated, non-repeating pattern to counteract the difficult acoustics of the theater’s elliptical shape.

Despite the array of challenges, the team reached completion ahead of schedule. The owner began moving into the spaces on July 22, just three working days after substantial completions.

“This was truly a collaborative effort,” Conard says. “We all rolled up our sleeves and were determined to find solutions instead of sitting back and waiting for someone to give us an answer.”

Key Players

Owner: Washington Drama Society
General Contractor: Clark Construction Group
Construction Manager: KCM
Architect: Bing Thom Architects
Civil Engineer: Wiles Mensch
Structural Engineer: Fast + Epp
MEP Engineer: Yoneda & Associates