In theater, updating a classic can be a delicate process as one tries to retain the flavor of the original while making it relevant for a contemporary audience. The same approach applies to the design and construction of the new Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio. The project aims to retain the historic facade of the city's existing hall, known as Municipal Auditorium, while creating performance spaces that meet present-day demands.
The original auditorium featured a 1926 Spanish Colonial Revival-style street front that is a prominent part of the city's historic core, but the structure's interior performance spaces no longer fit the program needs of the community. The design team, led by Seattle-based LMN Architects, with Marmon Mok Architecture, San Antonio, worked closely with a joint venture of Linbeck, Houston, and San Antonio-based Zachry Construction, to strike a balance that would satisfy the community while holding to the project's $200-million budget.