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Natomas Performing Arts

Natomas Charter School Theater design is a celebration of art. It speaks to the many types of art learned within its walls, and the history of such a space. It is a thoroughly modern building design, yet it contains many references to the past.

In its draping metal form, which creates the auditorium below, you can see references to Frank Gehry's postmodern museum in Bilboa, Spain but also memories of the big tent that housed many of the earliest theaters. You could see it as an interpretation of Steven Holl's interpretive works, or a memory of the celebratory dances held when a community came together and a barn was raised.

Natomas Charter School Theater is about movement. Be it a stage production, dance recital, or performance art, inside the building will always be bristling with movement.

The building acknowledges this youthful vitality and displays it in its forms. The metal roof of the auditorium draping over its sides and adjacent forms mimics the movement of the curtains, as they part for a performance.

The solid walls that surround the auditorium house the dance studio and dressing rooms. These walls ebb and flow, mimicking the swirl of ballet or the harmony of an orchestra.

The large stage house acts as an anchor to these forms moving around it, and the finish of this element hints at the artwork contained within.

All forms come together to create a dynamic space in which students can learn and create.

Natomas Charter School Theater is about performance. As you approach the glowing ticket window adjacent to the entrance and step below the schools marquee, you become a participant in the event. The wall leading to the entrance contains a mural painted by the students inviting you to explore the gallery, adjacent to the lobby.