Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Florida High School Renovates Performing Arts Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/26/22

Construction recently began on a series of renovations and expansions to the Visual Performing Arts (VPA) Center at Booker High School in Sarasota, Fla. The school partnered with SchenkelShultz Architecture to enhance both the aesthetic and technical qualities of the space. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2022, according to a news release.

Booker High School Visual Performing Arts Center rendering

“The theater at Booker High School is rich in history and is one of the premier art and cultural ‘gems’ of the Sarasota community,” said SchenkelShultz partner Ken Dean. Renovations include expanding the public lobby for use as a pre-show gathering area and student art gallery; a new balcony and tiered orchestra level for the theater; enhancements to comfort, sightline, and acoustics from the audience; and an expansion that makes room for a black box theater, costume shop, green room and academic space.

“The design preserves the existing theater as a historically significant place to educate students and provides an artistic destination for performers, students, and the community,” said Ekta Desai, AIA, Partner and Design Lead at SchenkelShultz. “Simultaneously, we have elevated the space's production, technology, acoustics, and function, creating an environment that reflects the school's longstanding reputation for excellence.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • Photo courtesy of Kraus-Anderson

    Minnesota District Completes $49.7M Addition, Renovation Project

    St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $49.7-million addition and remodeling project at two district schools, according to a news release.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.