Baltimore, MD

Our staff redeveloped the historic Hippodrome Theater, built in 1914 by the noted theater designer Thomas Lamb, along with two adjacent historic buildings into the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. The Hippodrome is the only theater in Baltimore large enough and equipped well enough to present Broadway shows.

The project includes restoration and improvements to the theater, conversion of the Western National Bank and Eutaw Savings Bank into a lobby and an additional performance venue and creation of a new building that houses public space and support facilities.

The heart of the complex is the restored Hippodrome auditorium, where ornamental surfaces and artwork have been refinished, new lighting has been added, the orchestra pit expanded and 21st-century theater technology invisibly inserted.

The theater’s main lobby is a grand space that connects three buildings and embraces the auditorium. The new building houses the largest part of the lobby, the box office, a cafe, a lounge and administrative and performance support space.

The center is a critical element in the continued revitalization of downtown Baltimore’s Westside as well as the area around the University of Maryland.

CLIENT: Maryland Stadium Authority
COMPLETION: 2004
SIZE: 175,000 square feet (includes 75,000 square feet of new construction)
COST: $53 million