AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center
Silver Spring, Maryland
The restored and expanded AFI Silver Theatre transports an audience of 400 to the glamour and excitement of the Golden Age of motion pictures. To restore the 1930s theater, Gensler unearthed photos and news clippings covering its original grand opening and salvaged scraps of fabric from the original wall coverings and carpets to recreate the theater's rich color palette. AFI Silver Theatre now has two additional theaters, exhibit spaces, a café and offices. The theater has renewed the surrounding community and reactivated Silver Spring's historic center.