Culture: Theaters
Project List

Culture: Museums
Project List

Smithsonian Insitution
National Museum of the
American Indian

Previous work as Associate Partner with Polshek Partnership Architects

Size: 260,000 St. Ft

Polshek Smithgroup and Native American Design Collaborative, joint venture team on the earlier completed project for the National Museum of American Indian – Cultural Resources Center was invited by the Smithsonian Institution to take on the task to complete the Mall Museum project where the concept design architect was terminated. Damyanti’s role was to work in close consensus, nurturing relationships built with the joint venture team, learning, understanding and implementing aspirations and goals set by the Native American community for its museum. It was truly a privilege as well as challenge to participate in making this project real, a great accomplishment in spite of the extraordinary circumstances. The process was moderated by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of the American Indian. Their participation and encouragement played catalyst in maintaining team morale and commitment for success of the project.

Santa Fe Opera Theater

Previous work as Associate with Polshek Partnership Architects

Size: 75,000 square feet
2,166 Seats – Open Air Opera Theater

Yale University Art Gallery
Kahn Building
Façade Restoration and Renovation

Previous work as Associate Partner with Polshek Partnership Architects

Size: 62,000 Sq. Ft.

The renovation of the 1953 Louis Kahn Art Gallery building restores many features of the original design and upgrades outmoded systems. The complete replacement of the building’s original window-wall system, along the west and north facades, was the most complex aspect of the renovation. The new system duplicates the appearance and profiles of the original while addressing the original wall’s technical shortcomings and accommodating the strict temperature and humidity requirements of a modern museum. The renovation also restores an open exterior courtyard that was previously roofed over in the 1970’s. With the removal of partitions, the individual galleries now reveal spacious, unobstructed vistas according to Kahn’s original vision.

Theater of Performing Arts Upgrade and Rebuilding (Unbuilt)

The project was to convert existing theater connected to the Convention Center into a “World Class” performance venue for quality concerts, operas, dance, Broadway musicals and theatrical performances requiring sophisticated acoustics and other systems to facilitate the program requirements. The concept was to raise the roof and increase height of the audience chamber to create the desired volumes in the space to meet acoustical challenges in the existing venue.

Sacramento Memorial
Auditorium
Expansion, Restoration and
Structural Improvements
(Unbuilt)

City of Sacramento wanted to upgrade the existing auditorium, a Historic Building, to meet the seismic and other required codes that were in force at the time. The project also included the clients wish to create a performance space that would attract touring companies to Sacramento. The program included a performance space for concerts, operas, dance, Broadway musicals and theatrical performances. The reconfigured audience chamber and lobby to become a welcoming experience for the theater – goers. The design responded to the program brief while restoring the historic landmark façade as well as making it accessible.

Renovation, Restoration
and Preservation
42nd Street

Previous work as Project Architect with David Todd Associates Architects

This project proved the transformative power of art and culture for the communities. In the mid 1970s the neighborhood around was derelict and crumbling. A forward thinking group purchased a group of old building and rehabilitated as flexible theater spaces for experimental productions. Damyanti documented existing conditions, prepared facade restoration documents and coordinated the theater systems with architectural and structural work required to stabilize the buildings.