Town Hall Auditorium Renovations
Town of Billerica
Billerica, MA
Having served as one of the most critical functional meeting spaces in the Town of Billerica for decades, including being the host site of the semi-annual Town Meeting among many other important events, the central Auditorium within Town Hall is a space which is frequently utilized and experienced by all in the Billerica community. After determining that this space needed significant upgrades to meet the Town’s current and future functional requirements, PRA Architects and our team of consultants were tasked with crafting a cost-effective and time-sensitive renovation plan to upgrade the space within a manner and timeframe to avoid disturbing the Town Meeting schedule or the ongoing critical functions of the surrounding portions of the building.
The major issues identified as the driving forces of the renovation project included generally poor acoustic performance, unbalanced and noisy forced air mechanical systems, inefficient use of space, lack of local storage space for furniture and other goods, subpar audio-visual and lighting systems, and noticeably dilapidated finishes throughout. These many issues severely limited the ability of the space to function as best possible. No longer being utilized for it’s original purpose, the existing raised stage consumed critical floor space needed to properly accommodate the larger gatherings and town functions. The existing upper level main balcony had become a make-shift, unsecured storage area in plain sight of auditorium occupants. Interior skylights overhead, while appreciated for their historic character and ability to provide natural diffuse daylight, suffered from substantial deterioration and required replacement. In addition to addressing the many problems noted above, the Town also wished to integrate into the project some additional flexible meeting space within the building, and a small space for recreation and fitness within close proximity to the various administrative offices.
The renovation project included a substantial refinishing of the auditorium space proper, and a number of upgrades throughout the adjacent portions of the building. Within the auditorium, the proposed work included removal of the existing stage and infill of hardwood flooring to match the remaining space, removal of existing obsolete operable partitions and tracks, new suspended ceilings below the main balcony, new interior lay-light panels, upgraded house and performance-oriented lighting throughout the space, updates to mechanical, electrical and A/V systems including relocating exposed A/V equipment to an adjacent space with remote control capabilities, and aesthetic upgrades throughout. Also included was the conversion of an existing non-functional meeting room just adjacent to the Auditorium into a dedicated furniture storage space accessed directly from Auditorium via a new double-doored opening. The existing upper balcony was enclosed and separated from the auditorium with an acoustically-rated wall, and the enclosed space reconfigured to provide a new state-of-the-art conference room, fitness/recreation studio with dedicated accessible bathroom and shower area, and dedicated storage room, all accessed from existing second floor corridor openings. Recently completed at a cost of approximately 1.3 million dollars, the project has transformed the existing auditorium into a high-tech performance and meeting space, providing a greatly enhanced experience for community members, visitors and town administrative personnel. Additionally, the provision of dedicated and secured storage space, new second floor conference room, and fitness studio offers numerous benefits not previously available as well as flexibility for town management functions.
Construction was completed in October 2023, and the renovated spaces now proudly serve the Billerica community. Have a look at the before and after photos to see how this space was transformed by this project!