Location: McAllen, Texas
Completion: 2017
Scope: Grounds, Grand Lobby, Ticketing, Grand Stair, Concourses, Multi-Function Room, Building Facade
Design Team: HBMA & ERO Architects
Photography: Hester + Hardaway Photography

Built on the southeast corner of the lake-centered cultural center, the McAllen Performing Arts Center is situated to take advantage of the park and lake views from the grand, multi-tiered pre-function space. Making the building come alive at night as seen from other locations in this cultural center was paramount, while also preserving the exterior views as experienced from the interior. Careful placement of uplights to flood the ceiling, floating squares and a sparkle of sconces falling down each column assists to express the interior volume without over-lighting so as to maintain interior-exterior visual balance

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The exterior of the stage house is dynamically facetted and is lit with precisely placed color-changing flood lights to wash both angles of the facets and limit spill to the sky. The interior feature stair proved challenging to light. This ribbon can sometimes take advantage of lighting from a surface above, and other times is quite exposed in the volume. A lit handrail with varying beam-angles proved to be the most consistent approach.