Brannan Center

Overview

The Brannan Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Calistoga, CA dedicated to community programming and championing the performing arts. The organization is based around the eponymously named facility which has recently undergone a major renovation driven by its volunteer board of governors and selected partners.

Program

The WSDG design team was tasked with acoustic and electroacoustic consulting for the facility’s two performance spaces. This was an extensive project that required close collaboration with project architect Timothy Wilkes and Brannan Center Technical & Facilities Manager Peter Ostrom.

Design

The basis of the Brannan Center was Calistoga’s historic Presbyterian Church, an important cultural gathering place in the community for more than 150 years. In 2020, the group at the core of the Brannan Center came into possession of the property and launched an ambitious revival of the space aimed at renewing its community importance and updating it for the needs of modern audiences. Wilkes worked carefully to preserve the architectural character of the original building, utilizing its existing old growth redwood walls.

The performing arts side of the building features two halls – the 120 seat Main Hall, and 115 seat Upper Hall. Both feature a very compact, but full-featured A/V/L system designed for both FOH and audio/video recording. A/V installation was performed by the Sausalito based BugID.

Photo credit: Will Bucquoy