In 2015, Second Stage Theatre (founded in 1979) purchased the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway, dedicating it to contemporary works of theater by living American playwrights, with an emphasis on women and minority writers. A landmark, the Hayes is the smallest Broadway theater. Called the Little Theatre when it was built in 1912 by Winthrop Ames, it was a 299-seat venue. Ames was interested in the Little Theater Movement and wanted to build an intimate venue. Rockwell Group’s goal was to develop a more modern, approachable design that referenced the Hayes’s heritage as well as Second Stage’s contemporary aesthetic. The renovation adds a modern rigging system, allowing for more sophisticated sets; an overhauled HVAC system; upgraded fire alarm system; ADA access (there was none previously); and energy saving measures with a goal of earning a LEED Gold certification.