Cinergy Construction Builds an Inclusive Screening Space

COUPAR'S client Cinergy Construction proudly transformed a neglected storage area into a 50 seat state-of-the-art screening room for filmmaker Ava DuVernay's ARRAY Creative Campus in Los Angeles' Historic Filipinotown. Named "The Amanda Cinema '' for DuVernay's late aunt Denise Amanda Sexton, it plays films by Black filmmakers, artists of color, and women of all hues. Not only did the theater require the highest aesthetic and performance standards, but it also needed to be designed, built, finished, and ready for its debut in four months flat instead of the normal eight-month lead time. It was a passion project for Cinergy co-owner Greg Francis, who grew up visiting his grandfather's theater in West Los Angeles. He and partner Graham Osborne custom-designed the screening room, ensuring a sound-and-picture-perfect audiovisual experience; while configuring the seating and traffic flow to accommodate frequent public events in a unique and beautiful space.

Ava DuVernay photographed by Luisa Dorr for TIME

Cinergy acted as General Contractor for the project, assembling and managing a team that included an architect, acoustic consultants, structural and civil engineers, along with electrical, mechanical, fire, and audiovisual crews. They partnered with Paradise Theater to take their conceptual design and engineering specifications to a finished result. After Cinergy completed The Amanda Cinema, on deadline and under budget, they received a lovely email from DuVernay:

"A note of gratitude from me to you. You delivered—big time. I thought contractors were supposed to be sneaky. And always late. And never keep their promises? Promise kept by Cinergy. Beautifully so. I'm truly and deeply grateful. I thank you from my heart.”