14 High-Profile Focus: Restoration and Renovation February 2026
Construction Underway for $ 40M Renovation of Trinity Rep’ s Lederer Theater Center continued from page 12
into Trinity Rep is fundamental to our mission and our values,” Trinity Rep’ s Laura H. Harris artistic director, Curt Columbus, said.“ This project ensures that everyone, regardless of mobility, can fully participate in the life of the theater, whether onstage, behind the scenes, in our audience, or in our classrooms.”
The addition will also expand public gathering areas and education facilities, creating a flexible, light-filled space that serves as an extension of the theater lobby. It will provide room for community programming, student workshops, and events, while consolidating Trinity Rep’ s administrative offices, which are currently located in rented space across the street.
In partnership with the City of Providence, Adrian Hall Way will be transformed from an alleyway into a public plaza, featuring a pedestrian walkway, improved lighting, outdoor gathering spaces, new plantings, and an expanded skate park. The renovation also includes the first major update to the Chace Theater— Trinity Rep’ s 500 + seat
Chace theater
upstairs venue. Updates will include new, more comfortable and accessible seating; flexible seating configurations; a new LED lighting grid; and modernized stage infrastructure.
“ The design had to reconcile a remarkably complex set of conditions. The building received a substantial
renovation back in the 1970s when Trinity Rep acquired the building which included dividing the existing theatre into two( the Dowling below and the Chace above) and reconfiguring the existing flytower into stacked workshops and rehearsal spaces. Separately, the addition is built on what was previously a public way where the floor plan of the addition is constrained by the area of the property allotted to the project with the remaining existing streetscape converted into a park by the city’ s public works department,” said Daithi Blair, project manager at Flansburgh Architects.“ The resulting geometry of the addition, in tandem with the complex and varied floor levels of the existing building, required careful and meticulous planning, coordination and detailing to ensure code compliance and accessibility at every level. At the same time, we had to be careful to balance our respect for this wonderful building with the need for a fresh contemporary and welcoming entrance.”
Demolition work for the project began last fall, and construction will continue through early 2027.
Adrian Hall Way
Concessions
Renderings courtesy of Flansburgh Architects
PROJECT TEAM ARCHITECT: Flansburgh Architects CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: Gilbane Building Company OWNER’ S PROJECT MANAGER: Peregrine Group THEATRE CONSULTANTS: Theatre Projects EXTERIOR FACADE RESTORATION: Wessling Architects MEP / FP ENGINEERING: Buro Happold STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: Boston Building Consultants www. high-profile. com