New Mission Theater
Two of San Francisco’s most significant architects, the Reid Brothers and Timothy Pflueger, designed the New Mission Theater in the early 1900s. The theater closed in 1993 and remained abandoned for decades. The threat of demolition was avoided when the building became a City landmark in 2004. As multiple development efforts failed, the facility sat vacant, disfigured by vandalism, water damage and pigeon infestations, until purchased in 2012 by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, a national chain specializing in innovative programming for dine-in movie theaters.
As the historic preservation architect, ARG restored and rehabilitated the original interior features and finishes: public lobby spaces and auditorium, including the proscenium arch and stage; main coffered ceiling; and the plaster wall and ceiling ornamentation.
The main theater holds 320 seats with table service; the expanded balcony was converted to four smaller theaters. New program elements, including a restaurant kitchen and support facilities, were carefully inserted to avoid impact to the significant spaces. The original projection room was converted to a bar in the historic “patron’s lounge” that is open to the public.
For a full list of honors received by the New Mission Theatre, please click HERE.
Photography by David Wakely