The Inspire Theater is a a 150 seat theater created mostly for a speakers series but design to be able to accommodate a wide range of performances. BUNNYFiSH studio was directed specifically to design a place where Metallica can play one night and an elementary school plan can happen the next afternoon. Located on the corner of Las Vegas blvd and Fremont, arguably the most important corner in Las Vegas, it is an adaptive reuse of a cast-in-place concrete building built around 1955. Along with the gorgeous concrete structure, the space hosts huge soaring wood bow-trusses and tongue and groove wood ceiling.
The program:
Floor one – Exterior news stand, espresso shop, bar|lounge
Floor two – Exterior deck, shared work space, theater mezzanine, Theater VIP, green room, tenant lease space
Rooftop deck
In order to make all of the desired program function and fit into 15000 SF, there had to be virtually no independent circulation in fact most spaces open from one to other and blur the lines of transition. On the corner is a news stand where you can walk buy and pick up the New York Times, or you can enter the building through the news stand. The espresso bar has inside dining with a world class periodical library or a walk up window. The Inspire Theater is flanked by a bar|lounge with a huge door that rolls open to extend the interaction between the two spaces. Or a sophisticated sound resistant door can be shut so that two totally independent events can occur at the same time.
The second floor has a small glass box conference room, exterior deck and lots of work space with seating that range from huge couch to recliners. From the outside of the building one might notice a glass box, but from the inside access is through a secret door built into a huge bookshelf and will not be easily discovered. All of the second floor toilets are in a pod clustering, but one of the pods is a secret door leading to the roof.
Once on the roof there will be a huge work|lounge with a bar and a view of both Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street.