Best New Building (Past Five Years)
Long Center for the Performing Arts
Remember Palmer Auditorium? That green hulking mass of a dome was reborn at the beginning of 2008 as the Long Center for the Performing Arts, and Austin is all the better for it! After almost a decade of planning and financial calibration, the completed center looks architecturally toward the future while retaining elements of its former life (the "ring beam" and the repurposed green roof tiles). The Long Center currently boasts two official performance spaces, one large traditional proscenium and a smaller black box that lends itself to experimental and innovative performances. With a season that matches the grandeur of the new space, this distinctive and much-needed performance venue has been quickly embraced by Austinites.
Long Center for the Performing Arts
701 W. Riverside, 512/474-5664
thelongcenter.org
