Urban School
The Urban School Performing Arts Center
San Francisco, CA
It takes many hands to assemble a Swiss watch inside a ship inside a bottle. The same mix of skill, collaboration, expertise, and creativity was essential for the transformation of a historic gymnasium into a vibrant performing arts building and community heart for the Urban School.
The Urban School Performing Arts Center (PACC) project revitalized a historic gymnasium, transforming it into a vibrant hub for education and community. This project prioritized accessibility, sustainability, and community engagement, resulting in a state-of-the-art theater, flexible music classrooms, and a welcoming space for students, faculty, and the surrounding neighborhood. The PACC enhances the school’s performing arts program while serving as a valuable community resource.
Nestled within the historic Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, The Urban School fosters a vibrant and inclusive school community that celebrates diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Committed to preparing students for a multicultural world, Urban has experienced significant growth while adhering to the principle of an intimate, self-contained campus that nurtures its unique culture and energy. To accommodate this growth while remaining rooted in its neighborhood, Urban embarked on a long-term partnership with its neighbor, the St. Agnes Catholic Church. This collaboration and close engagement with local residents and neighborhood associations led to the repurposing of the historic St. Agnes Church Gymnasium into a vital Performing Arts and Community Center. This project not only preserves the historic building and architectural fabric of Page Street but also enriches the school’s performing arts program, providing a state-of-the-art theater, music classrooms, and a gathering space for both the school and the surrounding community.
The PACC transcends its function as a mere performance venue. It serves as a vibrant hub for learning, fostering collaboration, and celebrating the rich tapestry of school and community life. Deeply interwoven with the fabric of the Urban community, the PACC emerges as a dynamic space for growth and transformation. The school community has wholeheartedly embraced the PACC as the heart of the campus, a testament to its enduring legacy. This profound connection ensures the PACC’s preservation as a cherished building for generations to come.