At a groundbreaking ceremony held on May 25, the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (SCLA) announced a renovation of its headquarters just west of Downtown Los Angeles.

Interior of The Shakespeare Center of Los AngelesSPF:architects

The $15-million project, which will modify an exiting 1960s building at 1238 W. 1st Street, will carve out a new 299-seat live performing arts theater within the building, as well as a 22,000-square-foot multimedia studio with capacity for broadcast, streaming, recording, and other sound stage activities.

The renovated and expanded studio is also billed as a cultural community center for the surrounding area, providing job training and employment for veterans, work-readiness training, and arts enrichment for students.

Groundbreaking ceremony for The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles' new headquartersGary Leonard

 SPF:architects is designing the Shakespeare Center's renovation, which also includes a makeover of the building exterior. A new ribbon facade is planned along three faces of the building, inspired by the ruff worn by Shakespeare. Likewise, the ground floor is to be outfitted with folding door to create an indoor-outdoor gathering space.

The redesign also calls for raising the roof of the two-story structure by approximately 20 feet, while punching a hole into the floor to create a stage pit. Additionally, the project will bring the building up to code requirements relating to disabled access and mechanical systems.

Aerial view of the future site of The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles' new headquarters, looking eastGary Leonard

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