Part of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, the 575-seat Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre can transform into many stage types—proscenium, thrust, traverse, arena, flat floor, black box—which allows it to host a variety of performances. The venue breaks out of the traditional theatre layout by featuring an advanced stacked design. At its base, the 12-story auditorium space is a three-sided glass enclosure. With this distinctive feature, the city skyline can serve as a backdrop for a performance with a raising of the theater’s walls.
To maximize the comfort of patrons and performers alike, the theater employs several green-building concepts.
Chilled beams were selected to maximize air distribution. Beams that do not require a supply-air connection, but instead utilize a water coil and natural convection, were chosen. In addition to the chilled beams, the theater utilizes ceiling diffusers that blend well into the architectural design, which allows the facility to keep its elegant look. This diffuser offers vertical or horizontal airflow and provides a uniform 360-degree air-discharge pattern. The theater utilizes ceiling diffusers that also perform well in variable-air-volume systems.
Clad in an innovative tubular aluminum, the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre adds to an impressive rebirth for the AT&T Performing Arts Center and the Dallas Arts District, giving patrons a chance to experience their favorite performances in a whole new way. The design of the facility also allows patrons to become more engaged with performances by bringing them closer to the stage, thus, creating a more visual and dramatic experience.