Petaluma Theater District

Challenge

Petaluma’s Theater District incorporated ten square blocks of new construction into the historic core of the town. The key challenge was to make this new site fit in well with the downtown area’s Victorian architecture and its new visual brand, with potential flooding from the river also creating special challenges to the streetscape.

Solution 

• Design the Theater District site as a modern interpretation of the branding used in the downtown area
• Include docks in the sidewalk vocabulary, to manage potential flooding and create visual interest

Special Features

• Sweeping ramps and rails recall the area’s industrial history and the active waterfront to the north of the site