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2019 Award of Merit - Best Historic Rehabilitation Project
Tryon, NC
Built in 1932, the Tryon Theatre at 45 South Trade Street has been restored into a modern destination cinema that embraces its historic beginnings and draws large audiences to the downtown.
The Tryon Theatre is a historic, single screen building that seats more than 200 people between the main floor and auditorium. The original structure had a much more extravagant art deco façade and construction, but the property burned in the late 1930s and was rebuilt in 1938 without those features. Although the theatre has been a staple of downtown Tryon for decades, the property needed extensive renovations for modern customers and audiences. Local business owners, Gayle and Scott Lane, purchased the property in 2017 and set out to revitalize this historic property into a 21st century cinematic destination.
The original exterior doors of the Tryon Theatre were retained during renovation and the existing marquee was preserved and updated with new LED poster boxes. A façade design that references the theatre’s original art deco style was also placed on the front of the building. Updates inside the theatre included new seating and design, egress lighting, an enlarged screen, wall coverings, and sound projection systems.
The budget for this project was over $800,000. Income and attendance at the theatre have doubled since the renovations. The theatre has been a draw for local and regional audiences, with frequent sold-out showings that attract established and new patrons to the downtown. Such activity has brought more traffic to local restaurants in the district as people seek out dinner with their movie night.
Congratulations to this Small Town Main Street community for its 2019 award.
In the category of DESIGN, Best Historic Rehabilitation Project highlights the work of an individual or business that has completed an outstanding historic rehabilitation project.
An Award of Merit is presented to: Gayle and Scott Lane, Brady Trakas Architects, Karaman Properties, and Nick Wilson for The Tryon Theatre Renovation