New Diamond Head Theatre

The Diamond Head Theatre building was originally built along the base of Diamond Head Crater in the 1930s as an Army movie house and served as a performing arts center for more than 60 years. It was the nation’s third oldest continuously operating community theater.

Coffman’s team provided civil engineering design services for the new, 500-seat Diamond Head Theatre (DHT) at the site of the historic theatre. The new theatre was constructed in the vacant, undeveloped area adjacent to the existing theatre building, allowing for productions and activities to continue during construction. The civil engineering scope included the preparation of construction drawings for pedestrian and parking areas site improvements, new sewer and fire water laterals, site grading and a storm water management system, and erosion and sediment control plans. An NPDES permit was required, as the site disturbance is greater than one acre.

Upon completion of the new theatre, the steel-framed addition attached to the rear of the existing theatre is being renovated for administrative and educational spaces, followed by demolition of the original theatre building to make way for the site’s expansive outdoor entrance overlooking newly created green space.

Article Feature: University of Hawai’i News