ABSTRACT
The design of buildings for live theater and music seemed to have been stuck in the notion that high culture must be enjoyed in monastic surroundings. Flat, unadorned walls, save for the obligatory piece or two of public art. The restoration of the Fifth Avenue Theatre in downtown Seattle in the early '80s reminded people of the places had begun to lose. The splendid renovation of the Paramount Theatre added a new dimension of drama to downtown. The public school system encouraged appreciation for the arts by regularly busing kids to see rehearsals of the symphony and theatrical productions. The importance of the new ACT Theatre goes well beyond the benefits of having another cultural venue. The ACT Theatre blends the new with the old and anchors a part of down-town that was, until now, a cultural backwater. It brings new life both to the stage and the streets around it.
