Awards Summary

Beginning in the 1990s with Martinez + Johnson Architects (co-founded by Gary Martinez and the late Tom Johnson), the awards list began accruing and continues today.

Restoration of the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn is among the most decorated theatre preservation projects in the United States, receiving major awards from the AGC of America, Building Design + Construction, SARA New York, the NYC Public Design Commission, the Brooklyn Building Awards, and the NYC Economic Development Corporation, including the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award. Other award-winning restorations include the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, honored by the Louisiana Landmarks Society; the Kiel (Peabody) Opera House in St. Louis, recognized as Project of the Year and for Regional Excellence; and the Boston Opera House, recipient of AIA and national construction awards for excellence in historic preservation and renovation. The flood-restored Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids, Iowa earned multiple honors from the AIA Central States Region, the AIA Iowa Chapter, the American Public Works Association, and national reconstruction awards for both design quality and civic value.

Gary’s work on the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC received an AIA Presidential Citation along with awards for historic preservation and craftsmanship from local and national organizations. His restoration of Cincinnati Music Hall amassed an extraordinary range of accolades, including AIA Awards of Excellence, national reconstruction awards, preservation merit honors, and designation as Historic Theater of the Year. Additional award-recognized projects include Webster Hall, Hudson Theatre, and Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land, as well as major civic and cultural projects such as the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream. Collectively, these honors underscore Mr. Martinez’s enduring leadership in preservation practice and his exceptional ability to transform historic places into vibrant, award-winning cultural destination.

John Easterling began contributing to the stellar theatre work as far back as 2003 when he worked with Martinez + Johnson (M+J) on the Paramount Theatre in Charlottesville, VA. John joined M+J in 2017, beginning a collaboration that developed into John’s and Gary’s partnership of Performance Architecture, LLC. In addition to awards for visitors center and schools, John’s performance space project awards include The Venue at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, CA, honored by the Sacramento Business Journal's 2023 Best Real Estate Project honoree in the Entertainment/ Performance category. Nashua Center for the Arts in Nashua, NH was awarded both an Excellence in Architectural Design Citation Award by the AIA New Hampshire and a Built Design Excellence Award, Civic + Cultural Facilities by the Boston Society of Architecture. Most recently, M&T Bank Exchange was honored with a Baltimore ULI Wave Maker Award.