The recital hall, a 101-seat room designed to accommodate solo and small ensemble groups, is embedded at the second floor. A floated floor system isolates the recital hall from the theater below. Support spaces and vestibules further separate the room. Within the space, acoustically considered clear-finished maple finishes adorn the walls, ceiling, floor and seats, paired with lighting to make a visually intimate space. Above the plane of light and wood, the volume continues to the underside of the roof. The volume and surfaces combine to enliven the space while variable acoustical curtains at the upstage wall allow for tuning. The result is a space set away from the surroundings, intimate yet accommodating, ready for teaching and performance.
The dance studio is the third major space within the “egg.” The resilient maple-floored room matches the stage dimensions and proportions for flexibility. Similar to the recital hall, a plane of light makes the space feel intimate while the volume of the space continues above to balance room acoustics. Together with a practice room, seminar space and classroom, the dance studio provides additional rehearsal and teaching space in a varied scale to accommodate diverse use.
21ST CENTURY PERFORMANCES AND INSTRUCTION
The center provides students the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment, controls and software typically reserved for professional environments. The three performance spaces have tailored audio/video, lighting and technical theater systems, which are as much teaching tools as building equipment.
The college desired diversity in the theater as a teaching space. Although small, the theater is equipped with easily accessed catwalks, galleries and line sets hung from the floor above. These allow students to safely work with variable lighting and rigging positions accessed from above and below. Motorized line sets allow pipe to be lowered to the stage for ease of access and large group instruction. The theater has a full theater lighting and audio system to provide foundational training, as well as experimentation. Beyond traditional theatrical lighting, the theater extends the integration of sound and light control to house lighting and video. An array of individually addressable color-changing light nodes transforms the house lighting into a cutting-edge theatrical lighting element that envelops the audience. The dance studio uses sophisticated lighting controls, custom touchscreen interface and individually addressable color-changing light fixtures for an immersive, student-directed experience. The recital hall’s motorized projection equipment, audio/video controls and addressable lighting into scenes make technology visible at the touch of a button.
The building is also a canvas. The lobby incorporates networked LED signage panels capable of acting as informational kiosks or displays for student-generated content. The maple-panel-clad “egg” and historical building towers are lighted by color-changing, wall-washing light running scenes that change based on the time of day or events within the building.
Each lighting system, audio system, and video system is open to student study and experimentation. These technologies serve as the foundation for a new technical certificate within the performing arts departments, meant to prepare students for diverse career paths.
As the gateway to the historic section of Lowell, the repurposing of a deteriorating 1876 structure now links the rich past of the old city with the programmatic needs of a modern performing arts center. Embracing old and new is critical to ensure that the richness and timelessness of history can live amongst our fast-paced technological world.
PHOTOS: Robert Benson Photography
Retrofit Team
CLIENT/OWNER: Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, Boston
ARCHITECT: Leers Weinzapfel Associates, Boston
- Josiah Stevenson, principal in charge/project manager
- Andrea Leers, principal
- Kevin Bell, AIA, project architect
- Seung-Jin Ham, designer
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Consigli Construction, Boston
MEP/FP: Cosentini Associates, Boston
STRUCTURAL: RSE Associates Inc., Watertown, Mass.
CIVIL: Green International Affiliates Inc., Westford, Mass.
THEATER: Fisher Dachs Associates Inc., New York
AV/ACOUSTICS: Acentech, Cambridge, Mass.
LIGHTING: Lam Partners, Cambridge
PRESERVATION: Preservation Technology Associates, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
GEOTECHNICAL: GZA, Boston
Materials
Standing-seam Zinc Wall Cladding: Rheinzink
Custom-perforated Aluminum Plate Rainscreen: DriDesign
Aluminum Curtainwall and Storefront: Kawneer
Aluminum-clad Wood Windows: Kolbe
SBS Roofing: Soprema
Asphalt Shingles: CertainTeed
Tower Clocks: Electric Time Co. Inc.
Large-format Floor Tile: Mosa
Resilient Stage Floor: Robbins
Linear Acoustical Wood Ceiling: Rulon
Theatrical and Architectural Lighting Controls: ETC
Light Node Array: ColorKinetics
Color-changing Building Lighting: GVA Lighting
Individually Addressable Recital Hall Lighting: Lumenpulse
Fixed Auditorium Seating: Series Seating
Movable Theater Seating: Wenger