Redesigned Union Theatre lobby approved by panel

A plan to scale back the Union Theatre expansion has received approval from the Union Design Committee.

The Union Theater renovation is part of the Lakefront Gateway project, which is designed to enhance the historic Memorial Union and Union Terrace while improving accessibility.

Under the new plan, the expansion of the theater lobby is reduced by about one-third, from about 3,000 square feet to roughly 2,000 square feet. The glass-encased lobby now extends 30 feet. It was originally designed to extend 55 feet.

“Our planning process is always an open dialog with our many stakeholders,” says Alan Fish, associate vice chancellor for facilities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “Because so many care about the Union and Union Terrace, the concerns raised about the size and design caused the design committee to go back to the drawing board and come up with a smaller and more architecturally-integrated theater plan.”

This plan still needs to be reviewed by the State Historical Society against standards set by the Department of the Interior for additions to historic buildings.

Phase I of the Lakefront Gateway project also includes updates to mechanical systems in the Memorial Union, and addresses accessibility issues in the 85-year-old building. Construction is scheduled to begin next year.