When the Gardiner W. Spring Auditorium opened in 1939, it represented one of the more ambitious civic investments of the New Deal era in Southern California. Designed by Allison and Allison, the 2,400-seat auditorium served students and the broader Ontario community as both a performance venue and an architectural landmark for eight decades.

Looking to refresh the aging hall in 2017, EverGreene Architectural Arts was engaged to conduct a finishes investigation and conservation testing. It was determined that the original 1930s acoustical plaster substrate contained asbestos, which reframed the scope of the project. Intending to keep the existing historic mural and design character, Evergreene was then tasked with photographic documentation of the ceiling for full replication.

Within the context of weighing an asbestos removal, the selection of BASWA Phon was realized to be an excellent material solution to not only maintain acoustical design within the ceiling, bust also in its ability to encapsulate the hazardous asbestos. The system's mineral wool panels could be adhered directly over an existing substrate. For DLR Group and acoustical consultant Schaffer Acoustics, the material addressed two project requirements at once: compliant remediation and verified acoustical performance.

Though, adding yet another dimension to the project was the need to replicate the original mural. This required a finish that could accept water-based pigments without compromising the porosity that gives the system its acoustic function.

Traditional paints applied to sound absorptive acoustical surfaces can fill and bridge the microscopic pores responsible for sound absorption, degrading performance. BASWA finishes can accept water-based tints, which allowed EverGreene's craftsmen to work directly on the installed surface and reinstate the original design throughout the auditorium and lobby.

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