Columbia Theater
project type: fabrication , graphics , museums
An Old Movie House
Located on Main Street in Columbia, North Carolina, the Columbia Theater is a circa 1930 movie house which has been restored and converted for use as a Cultural Resource Center. The mission of the Center is to interpret the relationship between the natural environment of Tyrrell County and its social, economic, and political history. Design Dimension, Inc. joined with architect Frank Harmon to plan the restoration of the Theater before continuing with exhibit design, fabrication, and installation.
The Exhibits
Because the Center is located in a restored theater, a design strategy was developed which used movie making equipment and cinema iconography as vehicles for interpreting the rich cultural and environmental stories of Tyrrell County. On the main exhibit floor, theatrical vignettes or “sets” were designed for each of the three main subject areas of forestry, fishing, and farming. Each set features a hand painted backdrop, an overhead lighting grid, storyboards, clappers, cue cards, prop tags, and other cinematic icons as interpretive devices. Additionally, each set contains artifacts, images, and interactive components pertinent to that particular story. Continuing the film theme is a mocked-up film-editing booth, complete with antique film cans, reels, and actual footage. The editing booth serves as a mini-theater for the screening of the “Voices and Viewpoints” video presentation, in which Tyrrell County residents share their oral histories.
Surrounding the main exhibit floor are ramps that extend to the stage and the second floor. Artifacts, images, and simple interactive components are grouped thematically and placed along the perimeter of the ramps. A Model ‘T’ Ford is parked on the stage adjacent to a theatrical flat depicting a couple from the “flapper” era. Cutouts in the flat allow visitors to be photographed as a part of the scene.
A Community Resource
The center has become a valuable resource for the community, and has served as a meeting hall and community center. Recently, Design Dimension has assisted with an upgrade to the theater’s AV system, installing a movie screen and digital projector to make greater use of the center for community presentations and ‘family movie night’.