18 October 2018

AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ANNUAL
EXCELLENCE IN CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION AWARDS

Ford Theaters Off-Season Improvements Phase 2 & 3, Awarded Second Place in the Repair and Restoration category.

The Ford Theaters Off-Season Improvements Phase 2 & 3, located in Hollywood, CA, was awarded the 2nd place in the Repair and Restoration category. The Southern California Chapter – ACI submitted the project to ACI.

The Historic John Anson Ford Theatres in the Hollywood Hills is tucked into steep canyon walls in the Cahuenga Pass. From 2013 to 2017, the Ford Theatres Foundation (with support from Los Angeles County) invested in a major renovation and addition to restore the historic board-formed castle-like structure and bring the stage, lighting and sound systems, electrical infrastructure, and back-of-house areas up to current standards. Off-Season Improvements Phase 2 included reconstruction of the stage and an extensive basement expansion. The excavation was stabilized using shotcrete retaining structures while the permanent structure was built. The new tiered stage includes suspended slabs and slabs-on-ground, flanked on either end by the historic concrete stage towers. The existing stairs and walkways used to access the theater were out of code compliance. Concrete was used to create double steps that aid in bringing the stairs up to code as well as providing a way to conceal and protect the new egress lighting. Off-Season Improvements Phase 3 improvements include the addition of a new 30,000 ft2 (2790 m2) building with a loading dock, administrative offices, and an outdoor dining terrace for guests. The front facing walls of the new structure resemble the original with exposed concrete walls with a board-formed finish. The 12 in. (305 mm) shear/gravity walls are up to 70 ft (21.3 m) tall and are heavily reinforced due to the high-seismicity of the region.

The project team was:

• Owner: The Ford Theatres Foundation
• Architectural Firm: Levin & Associates
• Engineering Firm: Structural Focus
• General Contractor and Structural Concrete Contractor: Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd.
• Concrete Supplier: Cemex
• Architectural Concrete Contractor: Shaw & Sons
• Concrete Restoration Contractor: Spectra Company
• Concrete Restoration Structural Engineer: Wiss, Janey, Elster & Associates.

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The ACI Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards were created to honor the visions of the most creative projects in the concrete industry while providing a platform to recognize concrete innovation, technology, and excellence across the globe. To be eligible for participation in the Excellence Awards, projects needed to be winners at a local ACI Chapter level and submitted by that Chapter, or chosen by one of ACI’ s International Partners.

An independent panel of esteemed industry professionals judged projects and selected winners based on architectural and engineering merit, creativity, innovative construction techniques or solutions, innovative use of materials, ingenuity, sustainability, resilience, and functionality.

Visit www.ACIExcellence.org for more information and/or http://bit.ly/2pU0POm to view the project video.