"We now have one of the most in-depth peeks inside the still under-construction Castro Theatre, as crews complete what's been a nearly two-year-long, $41 million renovation project. You've likely heard by now about the careful restoration of the Castro Theatre's ornate ceiling, which was one of the first tasks undertaken in this renovation that began in early 2024. The ceiling work was done by Evergreene Architectural Arts, and the finished work can be seen below."
"As Another Planet Entertainment Senior VP Mary Conde explains in the video below from Engineering News-Record, "From the '20s to the '80s you could smoke inside [the theater], so a lot of the original plaster work was just preserved in nicotine, which was really goopy and sticky and disgusting and stinky." Conde says that Evergreene found "the right solution" for removing the nicotine and preserving the paint underneath it, which was also touched up. She adds, "At the very center of our cupola is original paint from 1922 that didn't need to be touched up [because] it had been preserved in nicotine for all these years.""
"The video also discusses the ornate gold proscenium that had been covered over by a larger movie screen for at least 40 or 50 years, and had not even been seen by most of the Nasser family who own the building. The team has also undertaken a restoration of that proscenium, which was caked with nicotine, soot, and plenty of dust. That has involved several stages of cleaning, touching up of plaster and paint, and regilding with gold leaf. Conde explains how the "trundle bed system" of mechanical tiers will work in order to create 36-inch rows of seats for screenings and seated events, and how they will retract to become just five tiers to accomodate standing room for concerts. We also get a look at the structural reinforcement that took place on the roof of the 103-year-old building in order to accommodate a new HVAC system, as well as the steel on the ro"
Crews are completing a nearly two-year, $41 million renovation of the Castro Theatre. Evergreene Architectural Arts restored the ornate ceiling, removing nicotine and preserving original paint, including untouched 1922 cupola paint. Nicotine-soaked plaster required specialized cleaning and paint touch-ups to reveal underlying finishes. The ornate gold proscenium was uncovered after decades and underwent cleaning, plaster and paint repairs, and regilding with gold leaf. A "trundle bed system" of mechanical tiers will create 36-inch seating rows for screenings and retract to five tiers for standing concerts. Structural reinforcement and new roof steel were added to accommodate a new HVAC system for the 103-year-old building.
#castro-theatre #historic-restoration #plaster-and-gilding #mechanical-seating #structural-reinforcement
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