Designing the United Theatre
Founded as a vaudeville theater in 1926, the United was a go-to destination for film and live entertainment lovers in Westerly, RI and the surrounding area for the next six decades until its doors were shut in 1986. The landmark theatre and several neighboring buildings were acquired by the Westerly Land Trust in 2006, and an ambitious restoration project with a vision to unite the community through the arts begun to take shape over the next decade.
Our work with the UNITED began in 2018 with the development of the foundational visual identity system for the arts complex, at the outset of architectural design and construction. Over the course of the subsequent four years, this core branding system served as the basis for the design of the UNITED’s interior and exterior spaces, a comprehensive wayfinding and signage system, a variety of supporting collateral, communications materials, a website, and several sub-brands associated with the arts complex.
The concept for the UNITED’s visual identity system emerged from the overarching vision for the arts center as a vibrant cultural complex encompassing diverse disciplines and genres, housing a new multi–purpose, multi–use entity in a historic space, a living, breathing hub fostering connection and catalyzing exchange in its community – both locally and regionally.
Uniting the community through the arts since 1926.
This overarching concept gave rise to a core identity system comprised of dynamic visual parts which continually join together and come apart – always moving, always evolving, and always expanding. This essential play / movement of dynamic parts informed every design element from there on forward, including all of the environmental graphics on the exterior of the complex, all of the signage and wayfinding on the interior, all stationery, collateral, the website – you name it! The UNITED continues to be one of our favorite projects not only in its scope, breadth and reach, but also in the diversity of its deliverables and incarnations of the core branding concept.
The UNITED features a 700 capacity black box auditorium for live music, theater, opera, dance events, three film venues of varying sizes, a multi-purpose event and gallery space, and a state-of-the-art music school. Opened in the summer of 2021, the UNITED presents arts and cultural programming along with arts education opportunities for locals and visitors of all ages. It continues to welcome movie lovers, live performance fans, and curious arts learners into its unique and dynamic arts space serving as a hub for creative activity and a thriving community of creative thinkers, leaders, and lifelong learners in southern Rhode Island, southeastern Connecticut, and beyond!
