Sep 15, 2026 _ news

First Place Metamorphosis Award for The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati at The Emery Theater

GBBN has won its fifth Metamorphosis Award from retrofit magazine. Our work on The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati has won first place in the historic category for the rehabilitation of The Emery Theater, a landmark project that brought one of Cincinnati’s most architecturally and culturally significant buildings back to life. Opened in 1911 in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, The Emery had stood vacant for more than 30 years before undergoing a comprehensive restoration that preserved its historic character while transforming it into a fully code-compliant, high-performing performance venue. The project restored key features including ornamental plaster, marble finishes, grand staircases, and the theater’s historic presence on Walnut Street, while also upgrading the building with new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and advanced theatrical technology.

The modernization also improved accessibility and expanded production capabilities, including new elevators, a re-sloped orchestra floor, and a dramatic stage lift and turntable system that allows sets to be raised and rotated into place in seconds. The revitalized theater is already serving as a cultural and economic catalyst downtown, drawing audiences and helping energize the surrounding neighborhood.

Thank you to the judges for recognizing our work this year!

Read our full project case study here.

Learn more about the 2026 Metamorphosis Award honorees here.                        

The Children’s Theatre is also the recipient of the Community Impact Award from the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (CREDA) Cincinnati, as well as a Preservation Champion Award. You can read about that award here.

Find more of our award-winning work here.