BAM’s Richard B. Fisher building—a LEED Gold performing arts center—is a new artistic hub within a developing cultural community. The central challenge of the design was to create, on a small budget, an inviting exterior under the constraints of the building’s landmark status: the principal lighting features had to be subtle or come from within.

To that end, the building draws one in through its street presence and enlivened interior, illuminating the façade without marring the historic fabric. With its open lobby, rooftop terrace, and flexible black-box theater, this building has become a destination, inextricably woven into the neighborhood.