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Press Release: Rialto Updates

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The lights will shine once again on the stages of the beloved Rialto Theatre in downtown Bozeman. The design team, Erik Nelson and Brian Caldwell of ThinkTank Design Group Inc. with FAIA architect, Richard Fernau, in collaboration with Jon Evans of North Fork Builders, and acoustic consultant Charles M. Salter & Associates, have submitted plans to the city for a resurgence of the Rialto.

A public hearing is scheduled for May 9th at Bozeman City Hall, in the City Commission Room, and building renovation is slated to begin in June 2016 with the grand opening in June 2017.

The new space, which will include “black box” and “light box” theatres, will be reconfigured into a flexible venue designed to accommodate theatre performances, movie screenings, music performances, concerts, conferences, and a wine bar.

Plans include several much-needed modern renovations, such as the entry marquee, additional restrooms, retractable seating for optional open floor plans, and a commercial kitchen, but much of the design stays true to the historical fabric of downtown. Plans include a renovation of the current façade, returning it to its original grandeur of the 1920s when the Rialto doors first opened. Stages will also be designed to return the theatre back to its original purpose, as a live theatre venue for local and traveling artists.

Bozeman Daily Chronicle features the RialtoNot only will the design be historically relevant and conducive to live art, designers have also given special attention to the advanced design of the acoustics. Sound will be designed and engineered by the world-class acousticians at Salter & Associates out of the San Francisco area. Projects by the Salter & Associates firm include the Walt Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry in Los Angeles, MGM film Screening Rooms, and the Harris Concert Hall in Aspen, Colorado, among many others.

With a national resurgence of live art, and such a need for a flexible live venue in Bozeman, the Rialto is sure to make an impact in the community and throughout the region. Caldwell of ThinkTank Design says, “We want to create a space where artists across the country recognize the Rialto as a respected, creative destination theatre.” The Rialto will certainly bring back the excitement of live theatre on Main Street in downtown Bozeman, as it did nearly one hundred years ago.

 

 

 

 

Rialto Revival

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by Jenny Sheets, ThinkTank field reporter

Downtown Bozeman has seen the rugged days of “The West,” the flux and fall of gold diggers, several wars, and The Great Depression. Throughout all of it, The Rialto Theatre has stood as a familiar fixture on Main Street. The original space lent itself to political debates, military drills, and vaudeville acts. It was converted to a storefront in 1907, built in the classic Greco-Roman style with large bay windows and partial arches. Not long after, it became the theatre that locals have known for one hundred years, bringing in artistic avant-garde and independent films. The neon-lit marquee invited patrons to gather together, enjoy films, and sneak peaks at the rest of the world through cinema. The Rialto was part of the heart and soul of downtown Bozeman – that is, until time took its toll and the doors were locked in 2005, and the lights went out on Main Street.

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But now, thanks to the vision of architects, Erik Nelson and Brian Caldwell from Thinktank Design Group, as well as the support of the city of Bozeman, The Rialto will be revived. Plans were approved by the city in October 2015 for Thinktank to move forward with a restoration that will preserve the historic elements of the theatre, and at the same time, bring much needed upgrades and practical features, such as Black Box and Light Box theatres, a facelift to the entry awning on Main Street, and a beer and wine license in the future.

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While Bozeman has an array of new and historical theatres, Nelson and Caldwell hope to create a progressive, vibrant event space for shows, weddings, lectures, conferences, concerts, and more. They see The Rialto as a place for locals and visitors to gather together, as they have for decades, in the spirit of community, culture, and entertainment. And now, it won’t be long before The Rialto lights up Main Street once again.