Seneca Falls Performing Arts Center
Seneca Falls Performing Arts Center (SFPAC) is a young not-for-profit organization based in Seneca Falls, New York focusing on community based arts, theatre and events for the Finger Lakes region. This design study was developed as a Master Plan for adapting a 20th Century church into a performance and community center. Schematic Design included a preliminary code study, program development, space planning, and the creation of promotional renderings.
Existing Building
Built in 1870 as “The Congregational Church” in Downtown Seneca Falls, New York, it functioned for the church until the 1970’s. Several organizations and businesses occupied the space in the following decades, with intermittent periods of vacancy. The original round-arch two-story stained glass windows remain in decent condition and several of the original interior architectural elements remain intact, including the choir loft, woodwork and trim, and plaster walls and ceiling. Two additions were added in the late 20th century and were also included in the design study.
Space Planning and Programming
The original 1870 portion of the space includes the main chapel, lobby, spire room and a choir loft mezzanine. Very minimal partition walls exist and can be removed very easily with the floor and ceiling remaining intact. The annex and kitchen additions are in need of a bit more demolition work including finishes, fixtures and partition walls. I worked closely with SFPAC committee to hone their programming package to include three basic building functions: a black-box theatre space, a rentable event space (including small weddings), and a rentable conference space.
Existing First Floor Plan
New First Floor Plan
After accessibility and layout studies, the final floor plan was developed the around the original church space for the main event and theater functions, with the annex and addition to serve in ancillary functions including an upgraded kitchen and toilet rooms. We brought the space up to code by ensuring both required entrances are accessible and the appropriate amount of toilets were included. The committee landed on several single occupant toilet rooms in lieu of two multi-stall men’s and women’s toilet rooms. Initially the backstage spaces were to be included in the annex, however to ensure better functionality for both areas, they were placed also inside the original church. These spaces don’t require the same (two-story) ceiling height as the theatre, so a ceiling will be creatively adapted into the grand space.
Promotional Renderings
Once the layout and program were finalized, the designs were developed into interior renderings for promotional and fund-raising purposes. I created two views for the client to include two of the building functions, a theater scene and an event scene. The interior views are very heavily styled around the original interior architectural elements of the church, with upgraded lighting and furnishings. The event scenes face the rear of the room, where the backstage areas can be viewed with a lower ceiling height, however this would function very similarly to how the original altar of the church might have, with up-lighting and a built-in effect as to not upset the vastness of the grand hall.
The theater scene faces the front of the orginal church space, which would remain very much as originally designed with the exception of the lighting booth now located in the spire tower of the choir loft.