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Orchestra Design Studio

Contact Information:
Katherine S. Georgeson, FAIA LEED AP, Architect
2529 South 7th Street, Sheboygan, WI 53081
ksg@stagearch.com
(414) 405-8658
http://www.stagearch.com/
Company Description:
ORCHESTRA Design Studio is a passionate advocate for the key role that theatres play in building strong
and sustainable communities by creating environments in which artistic expression and social interaction
will flourish. Founded in 1992, our staff of architects, designers, and researchers work with leading cultural
and educational institutions to plan spaces that reflect our clients’ highest aspirations. We have designed
over 150 theatres ranging from historic restorations to new construction. Our design process is both
comprehensive and collaborative, resulting in flexible and finely-tuned environments that enhance the art
of performers, artisans, and technicians. In addition, working with many non-profit institutions taught us to
examine alternative designs, look for innovation, respect the existing context, and provide cost-effective
solutions that remain on budget.

OTJ Architects

Contact Information:
Gary Martinez, FAIA, Partner
555 11th Street, NW Suite 200, Washington, DC 20004
martinez@otj.com
(202) 621-1000
http://www.otj.com/
Company Description:
Formerly Martinez+Johnson Architecture, now merged with OTJ Architects, where as the Director of Studio
9, Gary F Martinez FAIA brings his experience and design sensitivities to institutional and cultural projects
in urban locations. Over the past 25 years, the Studio 9 team has established an expertise in three main
architectural areas – the restoration and adaptive reuse of historic structures, institutional buildings in
urban areas and community settings, and the design and planning of performing arts venues. Known
for a thoughtful design approach toward performing arts facilities, OTJ always seeks to develop an
understanding of the experience for the patron, the performer, and the operator. The firm looks to the
future in their designs, even when the context may be firmly rooted in the past. OTJ has had the challenge
of designing both new facilities as well as ones for existing performance venues, where flexibility, ease of
operation, and high but versatile performance characteristics must be present. Theatrical venues may
need to accommodate opera, symphony, chamber music, and a single public speaker in successive
performance slots. OTJ has executed more than eighty commissions involving theatres and cultural
arts facilities, reopening some of the most significant venues in the country for a varied client base
that includes universities, not-for-profits, municipalities, and the largest promoters and presenters of
live entertainment in the world. OTJ’s theatre efforts range from larger venues such as the 3300-seat
Kings Theatre in New York, the 6500-seat Sugar Land Performing Arts Center in Texas, and the 3300-seat
Peabody Opera House in St Louis, MO to smaller stages for non-for-profit groups and institutions such as
the 1000-seat Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, VA, the 800 seat Howard Theatre in Washington DC,
and the 1000-seat Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA. Mississippi State University hired OTJ to design the Riley
Center for Education and the Performing Arts in Meridian, MS, a project that included the rehabilitation
and modernization of the 1000-seat Grand Opera House. In New Orleans, OTJ worked to restore the
Mahalia Jackson Theatre and the Saenger Theatre after Hurricane Katrina devastated both facilities.

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2019 National Conference in Philadelphia, PA
Photo Credit Don Telford

Historic Theatre Resource Guide / Allied Member Directory November 2019 INLEAGUE | PAGE 47