Sheridan Opera House: Staircase Up to Code

05 Jun Sheridan Opera House: Staircase Up to Code

As part of the Sheridan Arts Foundation’s mission to restore and renovate the historic Sheridan Opera House, this spring off-season the historic venue in the heart of Telluride received some much-needed improvements to its gold staircase.

The Opera House’s staircase was built before current building codes were put in place, and the vertical bars on all three floors of the building were wide enough apart to make the staircase a tempting jungle gym and safety hazard for children.

SAF Director of Finance and Business Affairs, Steve Palamar, summarized the project as follows:

“The staircase work was completed to improve the safety of the Opera House. The handrail system was originally built with little concern for the possibility of children squeezing through the upright rails and falling. We decided to address this important safety issue by adding decorative metal “S” shaped tubes (for “Sheridan”) between the existing uprights, thereby creating a staircase compliant with current building codes. Metal Artist, John Hubbard deserves credit for the design, fabrication, and careful workmanship.”  

Once activity slowed down in the Sheridan Opera House in April, Hubbard installed decorative medal S-shaped tubes (to represent Sheridan or Segerberg) between the existing poles to allow no more than four inches of space between the bars.

The resulting design is a seamless addition to the Opera House’s unique staircase and it looks as if it was always a part of the handrails.

The project is just one of many on the SAF’s building wish list. In the past year, the Sheridan Opera House has seen a full entryway renovation and new movie screen thanks in part to special fundraising projects and the organization’s continued dedication to making the building as safe and functional as possible for the public.

The project cost approximately  $5,000 and was paid for by the SAF’s Restoration Fund, which is budgeted each year for continued building improvements and upgrades.

Founded as a 501(c) 3 non-profit in 1991, the Sheridan Arts Foundation’s mission is to preserve the historic theater to provide quality music and entertainment to the Telluride community and to offer educational programs to regional and national youth.