Inner Glow Theater

“The Inner Glow Theater”, the project’s second component, is a parasitic structure grafted to the eastern façade of The Furnaces. Originally tasked with designing stairs to transport occupants from The Furnaces’ top deck to ground level, “Inner Glow” transformed into a theater-like space where the performances in the hearths and art-centered lectures on a lower stage can be viewed and listened to from an interior condition. The component experiments with the manifestations of light as it passes through and interacts with different materials, colors, and perforations. Perforated metal sheets separate the layers of movement throughout the structure. The contrast between the warmth of the copper-colored steel within and the neutral aluminum sheets without will create a glowing effect when light is added. Light is also layered through the variations in the patterning of shadows through the metal encasement’s perforations.

An amphitheater was the design’s third component. This threetiered structure provides seating to view the aerial dance performances taking place within the Furnaces from an external perspective. The platforms comprising each tier are wide enough for large groups of people, tables, and picnic blankets, catering to a wide variety of viewing experiences and intensifying the center’s warm sense of a shared community. The first and second tiers are also fully accessible by ramps on either side.