Papp's original plan to build one 1,200 seat central theater in the old building turned out to require costly alterations to original masonry walls, so the design was adapted to two 229-seat theaters. The main theater, a thrust-style space called the Anspacher, was built in what had been the library's reading room.
Papp's initial plan for a large central theater necessitated costly changes to the original building, leading to a revised design that resulted in two smaller theaters. The main theater, known as the Anspacher, was built in what had previously served as the library's reading room.