Alameda Theater San Antonio

EverGreene was retained by Overland Partners to conduct investigations of historic interior architectural finishes including paint, plaster, aluminum, terrazzo, tile, and Plexiglas, of the Alameda Theater, located in San Antonio,Texas. The theater, designed by Texas architect N. Straus Nayfach and completed in 1949, was the centerpiece of the Casa de Mexico International Building. The building was designed in a lush, modern style influenced by the Streamline Moderne aesthetic. The theater auditorium boasts murals depicting the histories of Texas and Mexico, rendered in fluorescent paint and illuminated with ultraviolet “black” light. Interior architectural decoration includes etched and painted Plexiglas panels, sculptural aluminum forms, and colorful tile accents.

The purpose of the historic finishes assessment was to confirm the presence and condition of original materials, document historic color palettes, and develop cleaning, conservation, and repair methodologies for interior architectural finishes, including the distinctive black light murals of the auditorium.