San Mateo Performing Arts Center
Performing Arts Center Reconstruction and Renovation
The 1,540-seat San Mateo Performing Arts Center (SMPAC), the largest theater between San Francisco and Cupertino, California, underwent an extensive demolition, reconstruction and renovation, resulting in a three-story modernized facility complete with new basement space, lobby, wrap-around mezzanine and balcony seating, orchestra pit and fly-loft.
Located at San Mateo High School, SMPAC was designed to accommodate both students and faculty, as well as community performances, like the Peninsula Symphony and Broadway by the Bay. Providing an inviting entrance for theater-goers, the facility’s three-story glass wall lobby boasts enhanced patron services, such as concessions and bathrooms distributed throughout the main and mezzanine levels to reduce congestion, as well as audio and video screens for broadcasting performances. The 17,700-square-foot basement allows for wardrobe storage, green rooms, a scene shop, and other support spaces. It boasts complex technical components, such as production rigging, lighting, variable acoustics and AV systems.
