Nighttime photography of San Antonio performing arts venue illustrates facade consulting firm’s work
This nighttime photograph of San Antonio’s Tobin Center for the Performing Arts is featured on Front Inc.’s website as an example of the facade consulting firm’s work.
My image of San Antonio’s Tobin Center for the Performing Arts is now featured on Front Inc.’s website as an example of the firm’s projects.
The Tobin Center photography, which was taken during a 2015 trip to the city, shows the Tobin Center’s beautiful architectural features, including exterior lighting, gold domes and wonderful stonework. Capturing the photograph at night allowed the building to really show off its distinct and colorful character, which includes a constantly changing light display. It’s simply stunning.
The Tobin Center sits along the famed River Walk that snakes through San Antonio’s historic downtown district, and the architecture embraces the city’s cultural identity. The renovation and expansion project of the Municipal Auditorium was designed to create a large, flexible, multi-use performance space with acoustics comparable to the world’s finest concert halls, while maintaining the historic entrance and arcade of the Spanish colonial-style building.
Front Inc. worked with LMN Architects through all phases of the project to conceptualize and develop multiple facade systems. The historic facade of the Municipal Auditorium is enhanced with a glass wall that forms an entry lobby. A glass box to the side houses the smaller performance spaces. The resulting 183,000-square-foot facility includes a 1,768-seat main performance hall and a 231-seat studio theater.
But it is the signature veil metal paneling system, with an array of colored lights that roll through choreographed displays, that really catches the eye when the sun sets. Design of the veil system by Front Inc. considered structural concept, aviary considerations, cutout analysis and incorporation of the lighting system.
The Tobin Center photograph was captured from atop a parking garage to provide a perspective not available from the ground, where buildings would have obstructed the view. I used Google Maps to narrow down the possible shooting locations as I prepared for a trip with fellow photographers David Morefield and Tim Stanley. My original choice wasn’t right, but we moved over one parking garage and found a corner that offered the perfect vantage point.
I then simply zoomed in and took a series of exposures, later using Photoshop to combine the frames for a beautiful HDR image that brings out all the incredible beauty of the building. Final editing was completed in on1’s Perfect Effects.
Be sure to check out my full fine-art photography gallery, and take advantage of the discount code CPETAZ to order a print or two that will add some real character to your home or office.