SOM Transforms Abandoned Market Street Movie Theater Into a Live Venue That Honors Its Roots

A century ago, San Francisco’s Market Street was bustling with theaters, including The Strand. Over the decades the area declined, shops shuttered, and the old movie theater fell into disrepair. Last year, SOM adapted the abandoned space into a playhouse for the American Conservatory Theater (ACT). The design, which includes two performance venues, an education center, a rehearsal space, and a public lobby and cafe, tracks with an overall revitalization of the area.