Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton, CA
Completed in 2004

To enhance the school's performance, assembly and liturgy offerings, THA designed a new 29,000 sf theater facility and redesign of the formal Palm Court to serve as the central gathering place for the Sacred Heart community. In addition to providing the school with a building that allows the students to learn and perform in a physically enriched environment, it was critical that the design of the building respect the existing architecture and add to the character and beauty of the campus.

The 350-seat theater includes an audience chamber, stage house with modified thrust stage and fly loft. Recognizing the site limitations imposed by the heritage oak trees, residential restrictions and the location of the Palm Court, THA worked in collaboration with the client to locate the more infrequently used program elements at the lower level of the building. This allowed the performance and teaching facilities maximum exposure at pedestrian and courtyard level. The lobby serves to connect the building to the Palm Court by a curved glass wall and steps that seem to spill out onto the courtyard.