A collaboration between Theatre Projects, design architect William Rawn Associates, executive architect The S/L/A/M Collaborative, and acoustician Kirkegaard Associates, the 118,000sq.ft arts centre features a 400-seat concert hall, 250-seat courtyard theatre, and a 120-seat studio theatre, as well as support spaces including rehearsal rooms, scene and costume shops, dressing rooms, and a green room.
"Theatre Projects and William Rawn have a long history of successful collaborations," Scott Crossfield, Theatre Projects' theatre designer, said. "We're excited to add ECSU's beautiful new arts centre to that list and we look forward to many more."
The $62m facility gives the university the ability to nurture artists-in-training with versatile facilities tailored to a diverse cross section of specializations. Not only can ECSU now provide an environment catered to comprehensive arts education, they can also boast an elegant building to invite the student body and public inside to experience the work of students and outside performers in professional surroundings.
Designed to accommodate the entire Department of Performing and Visual Arts, Theatre Projects and the design team planned the building to allow the diverse group of arts students shared access to the support spaces. Aside from being both a streamlined and cost-effective solution, this approach also supports the University's emphasis on collaboration across artistic disciplines.
The most distinctive venue in the new arts centre is the 400-seat concert hall, which will play host to choral and acoustic music, lectures, guest performers, and a myriad of other university events. A grand glass wall stands at the back of the audience, creating a connection to the outside. Warm wood finishes and ample sunlight create a peaceful setting that suits choral, acoustic, and classical music exceptionally well. The walls of the room are lined with a distinctive gold metal acoustic paneling and the acoustic ceiling features a unique, wave-like design. The ceiling required inventive solutions to account for the one-of-a-kind form, so Theatre Projects designed and specified curved lighting trusses and a suspended metal panel system to suit the asymmetrical shape.
The 250-seat courtyard theatre features a full fly tower, technical ledges, lighting and sound booth, two catwalks, and LED stage lighting, providing the university's theatre program the creative freedom to stage ambitious works of drama, musical theatre, and even small operas. As they progress through their learning, ECSU's theatre students are encouraged to experiment with each role a theatre has to offer-technical director, stage manager, scenic designer, prop master, actor-all of which the room's versatile systems and robust support spaces make possible.
"We take great care in every performance space we create to explore how we can get the connection between audience and performer to be as intimate as possible," David H. Rosenburg, Theatre Projects' project manager, said.
One of the most progressive benefits of the new arts centre is the environmental consideration that went into its design and construction. The facility is one of the first university performing arts centres in the country with all-LED stage and house lighting. LED lighting offers a number of benefits, including less energy consumption, low heat radiation, and reduced maintenance costs.
(Jim Evans)
