Everett Performing Arts Center
A community theatre with a seating capacity of 505, the Everett Performing Arts Center was designed by NBBJ and opened in 1993. Michael R. Yantis Associates was the project acoustical consultant. The Everett PAC is the sister theatre to the Village Theater in Issaquah, which was another Michael R. Yantis Associates project with Bumgardner Architects.
The Everett PAC was the first theatre project where I reduced the number and size of the overhead reflectors and emphasized the sidewall reflections. Prior to that, to “hear a pin drop” on stage, I- like many acousticians of the time- tried to capture all the energy from the stage and reflect it back to the audience. The problem with that philosophy is that, although great for speech, it does not create the extended room response and complex reflections that are desirable for music.
The design concept was not general practice at the time. Consequently, another local acoustical consulting firm was asked to review and comment on the project. Their primary comment related to the lack of overhead reflectors and the concern that stage energy would be lost. The scheme was retained, though, and the result was as desired. Speech presented on stage was still highly intelligible and the response of the venue to music was much improved over previous designs. The theatre received very positive reviews from local arts critics.
