STRAND THEATER RENOVATION in San Francisco (26/58)

1127 MARKET STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103

The American Conservatory Theater’s renovation of the old Strand Theater is one of the biggest projects in the current revitalization of the Mid-Market neighborhood, and lots of progress has been made since ground first broke more than a year ago. The formerly run-down theater is now filled with scaffolding as the structure transforms from an abandoned, graffiti-filled shell into a 285-seat showcase space with a smaller theater upstairs and a café.Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is leading the redesign, with Page & Turnbull on board as the historic preservation architect. The building’s facade is being preserved and updated, and much of that work is already under way. Restored windows will be installed soon, as will a new glass storefront for the lobby.

Along with preserving the theater’s historic facade, A.C.T. decided to hang onto some of the Strand’s more recent history. The building has been vacant since 2003, and some of the graffiti left by squatters who stayed there will live on in the theater’s new incarnation. The most notable is an oversized “Junkies for Life” graffito. The $33.5 million renovation is set to be complete next year, with the first performances held in late spring.