DESIGN
JOHN SERGIO FISHER & ASSOCIATES
Hope springs eternal
The new performing arts center at Indian Springs
High School is not only a flexible educational resource,
but acts as a beacon for the wider community
Above: The width of the
proscenium opening can
be adjusted to suit different
performance types
A lthough the city of San Bernardino
is one of California’s poorest
and most violent, the Indian
Springs High School Performing
Arts Center is a symbol of the
community’s determination to break the cycles
of violence and poverty by instilling a love of
the performing arts and improving the overall
quality of life and learning.
“The design concept was to create a superbly
functioning, state-of-the-art, flexible performing
arts center which would be an icon for the school
and the community,” says John Fisher, president
of John Sergio Fisher & Associates, which
designed the venue.
The 19,452ft2 (1,807m2) center has a 514-
seat multifunctional venue with full support
spaces and will also house a black box theater
in the future. The front lobby, which doubles
as an art gallery for use by the students and the
community, is lit during the day by a tall northfacing
curtain wall.
Three types of end users
“Flexible technical resources will enable the
community, school and district to use and enjoy
the facility for many different functions,” says
Fisher. “Thick concrete masonry unit CMU-
bearing walls support the steel trusses and beams
and also provide excellent sound attenuation to
and from the theater, as well as thermal lag.
The proscenium theater has a fly tower with
gridiron and rigging for 25 line sets, including
two for an orchestra shell. The proscenium
opening can be adjusted in width from 40ft
(12.2m) for plays to 60ft (18.3m) for orchestral,
dance and musical performances. There is an
orchestra pit lift that can rise to one level to
60 AUDITORIA 2019 VOLUME ONE