Emerson College’s new performance center incorporates a contemporary arts complex into the historic Paramount Theater and adjoining Arcade building.

A clever integration of kinetic LED lighting into the Arcade’s arched windows creates a vibrant street presence while leaving the landmarked building’s stone facade untouched. CBB also designed the lighting of the College’s modern performing arts school, housed behind the historic Arcade façade.

The rich tones and sumptuous décor of Art Deco period theaters are recreated from the abandoned interior’s sparse remaining details. A family of custom decorative lighting fixtures, inspired by the period, complements the rich materials and visually organizes the spaces. The lighting design celebrates the theater’s life, elegantly recalling its past within a confident, modern-day revival.