The African American Cultural Center of Greater Pittsburgh functions as the physical and virtual vehicle for telling the African American story through cultural expression. The building houses a 300+ seat theater capable of accommodating a myriad of performances from dance, to drama, to music. Smaller venues including the cafe, multi-purpose room, and main lobby allow for a wide variety of offerings ranging from formal to informal. Gallery spaces are configured to accommodate permanent and changing exhibitions. Technology transforms the center into a virtual experience, giving visitors the opportunity to engage African American Culture through hands-on involvement in exhibit content and immersion into multi-sensory experiences.

The Liberty Street elevation forms a proscenium which frames the restored historic fa栤es. These facades appear to be a stage prop held in place by a steel armature. The large expanse of glass and openings in the restored facades link the movement of people on the street and in the lobby both visually and physically.

The theater interrupts the angular geometry of the lobby. Its curvilinear form provides an intervention and a melodic counterpoint to the buildings' rhythmic grid and its rotated orientation pays homage to the center of Pittsburgh's African American heritage, on axis with the former intersection of Wylie Avenue and Fullerton Street. The theater is sited so that the historic Hill District, both symbolically and geographically, sits backstage. The juxtaposition of old and new also serves as a reminder of the past, while looking outward and upward to the future.