GATES Construction has partnered with Gilbane in a joint venture to build the Gulfshore Playhouse Theatre and Education Center. The state-of-the-art 40,000 square foot Gulfshore Playhouse Theatre and Education Center, situated on a three-acre parcel at the corner of 1st Avenue South and Goodlette-Frank Road, will extend the heart of Downtown to the east of 9th Street in an expressive, sculptural design inspired by visions of the waves and sand of the Paradise Coast. Upon entering the building, patrons will be welcomed by an airy reception lobby featuring lounge areas and the theatre’s bar. The complex will include a 350-seat state-of-the-art proscenium-style theatre, with sloped seating, which will be used for large-cast musicals, classics and world premiere comedies and dramas, presented on a grand scale while still providing the intimacy and close proximity to the stage that Gulfshore Playhouse patrons have come to know and love. The stage will be an equivalent size and scale as a Broadway theatre, and will be useful for incubating productions heading to New York, when appropriate. Additionally, there will be a secondary 150-seat black box studio theatre. Audience comfort, superior sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics remained priorities throughout the design. The new building will also include a landscaped outdoor space, an airy lobby, a patron lounge, as well as ample rehearsal and educational facilities. Design Services are provided by H3-Arquitectonica.