SOHO IS PLEASED TO PRESENT an Adaptive Reuse Award to the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center, affectionately known as “The Joan,” in recognition of the remarkable transformation of Naval Building 178 at Liberty Station into a world-class performing arts venue, made possible through the generosity of Joan and Irwin Jacobs and the support of the NTC Foundation.
Originally constructed in the 1940s as part of the historic Naval Training Center, Building 178 once pulsed with military life. Its basement housed a bowling alley, while its upper levels hosted dance halls, game rooms, and a commissary. Vacant for over two decades, the building now enters a vibrant new chapter through a preservation-forward reuse project that exemplifies the best of architectural stewardship and civic vision.
 Left to right Judith Nora, board of directors, Arts District Liberty Station; Bill Schmidt, executive director, Cygnet Theatre; Sean Murray, artistic director, Cygnet Theatre |
This thoughtful restoration and adaptation honor the building’s Spanish Colonial Revival style, NTC’s architectural signature, which unified the campus and reflected San Diego’s regional design identity. Historic arcades, windows, and colonnades that had been sealed over in prior remodels are prominent again. The careful blend of historic fabric and contemporary function results in a new cultural landmark for San Diego.
The adaptive-reuse design respects the building’s original scale, decorative features, and materials while reimagining its interior to serve Cygnet Theatre and the broader performing arts community. The project includes two distinct venues: the 280-seat, proscenium-style Joseph Clayes III Theater and the 150-seat Dottie Studio Theater, along with rehearsal rooms, green rooms, and gallery space, all set within 42,000 square feet of preserved and repurposed architecture.
To bring the vision to life, Arts District Liberty Station enlisted Christopher Bittner of obr Architecture, along with the theater design experts at Fisher Dachs Associates. Bittner approached the project with respect for the integrity of the 4,000-square-foot historic building, a space rich layered with history.
“The building’s original bowling alley was one of the biggest design inspirations for the lobby,” Bittner says. Behind the scenes, the original lane numbers still hang quietly by the dressing rooms—a subtle nod to the building’s past life.
The conversion keeps key historic elements while introducing new functionality and flexibility that meet the needs of contemporary performance and community use. Importantly, it restores and retains the building’s original style, scale and proportions, ensuring that its identity within Liberty Station remains intact.
BY REINVESTING IN NAVAL BUILDING 178, this project preserves a tangible piece of San Diego’s 20th-century military and architectural heritage. It also reinforces the ongoing vitality of Liberty Station’s Arts District, where historic structures are reborn as centers of community, culture, and creativity.
SOHO commends this outstanding effort for seamlessly demonstrating how the preservation of place can serve as a platform for public enrichment, storytelling, and the performing arts. With deep respect for the past and a bold commitment to the future, The Joan stands as a model of adaptive reuse excellence.
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