Items Tagged ‘performance space’
Revival of a Tarnished Beauty
Synopsis:
The 131-year-old Treble Hall in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, is set to be restored and find a new purpose. Designed by James Balfour, who was also the architect of the Detroit Museum of Art and Hamilton City Hall (since demolished), the building is fixed with metal detailing in honor of Hamilton’s heritage as a metal town. Built in 1879 for Henry J. Larkin, the building original had four retail storefronts on the first floor, offices on the second, and a public assembly hall on the third floor. Under the plans of the new owner Jeff Feswick, the building will go through a $3 million adaptation which will see the storefronts restored and art lofts and a rehearsal and performance area on the upper floors.
Baptist Temple
Synopsis:
History
Built in 1891, this Victorian Romanesque-revival church in Philadelphia was the home of Grace Baptist Church. The church was founded along with Temple University a few years earlier by Massachusetts preacher Russell H. Conwell. It remained as a church until the mid-1970s when the congregation moved out to a larger building.[1] It was purchased by Temple University in 1974. The building was later certified by the Philadelphia Historical Commission in 1984, which was then followed by the American Institute of Architects designating it as a Landmark Building in 2003.[2]
(Re)Developer
Founded in 1884 as Temple College, Temple University has eight campuses which include locations in Rome and Tokyo. “Temple University is a national center of excellence in teaching and research with an international presence.”
RMJM is an international architectural firm that specializes in architecture, sustainable design, urbanism, masterplanning, interior design and research and development. The firm is committed to the care and improvement of the environment and the communities in which it operates and has taken a leading role in promoting environmental best practice and the move towards sustainability. This commitment is followed through by the delivery of low energy buildings and an in-house research and development group RED (RMJM Environmental Design). This multidisciplinary team spearheads energy efficiency and a sustainable approach in the earliest stages of projects. RED operates globally and works with all of the firm’s project teams, auditing the implementation of environmental design strategies on projects at each major design stage.
Outcome
After sitting vacant for 30 years, Temple University undertook a $30 million renovation and restructuring of the old church. It is now a state-of-the-art performance center that still retains its original character. Initially the school considered tearing down the church due to its deteriorated state, but those plans were altered after the Historical Commission certified the building. After being known as a “dead space” in North Philadelphia, it is now ready to be the school’s new gateway.[3]
Lew Klein Hall, a 1,200-seat theater and the primary performance space, features a large, protruding stage, superior acoustics, vaulted ceilings and much of the building’s restored original features. The historic Chapel of the Four Chaplains is a now an event space that can hold up to 130 seats. Being located along North Broad Street, the new use for the building fits well within the school’s master plan to orient the growing campus along this corridor.[4]
Arsenal de Metz
Synopsis:
History
Built in 1863 during the reign of Napoleon III, this building served as a military arsenal for over a century.[1]
(Re)Developer
Ricardo Bofill, the renowned Catalan architect, was born in 1939 in Barcelona. In 1963, shortly after graduating from the Barcelona University of Arqitectura and Scholl of Geneva, Bofill formed an international team of architects, engineers, sociologists, writers, movie makers and philosophers and thus founded Taller de Arqitectura. Over the past 40 years, the studio has gathered valuable experience in the fields of urban planning, architecture, landscaping, interior, furniture and product design. Among prestigious projects undertaken by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arqitectura are the Christian Dior headquarters in Paris, the headquarters developed for Cartier, Decaux, Axa, the Shiseido company headquarters in Tokyo, Donnelley skyscraper in Chicago, and the international airport in Barcelona, and many other.
Outcome
The restoration of the building, with its nearly 11,961 sq. yards of built surface, was directed at accommodating a rehearsal hall, a concert hall for chamber music, a restaurant, exhibition gallery, offices for administration, management and centre services and a 1,500-seat auditorium. One wing of the building, originally square with a 100′ x 166’ interior courtyard, has been sacrificed in order to open up the central courtyard to the city, forming a public square and giving a better view of the Templars chapel, which dates from the 12th century. The façade has been slightly modified by means of cladding with slabs of natural stone with metal joints which underline the rhythm of the arches. The introduction of big new windows has lightened the heavy, opaque solidity of the old military building. The main auditorium is underground, situated beneath the central square. The roof, with its wooden structure covered with anodized steel, is flat, the problems of reverberation were resolved by means of a design based on detailed studies of acoustic performance. The hall has two ramped seating areas; the smaller, with a pronounced incline, can be used to accommodate the choir when necessary. The orchestra pit is located between these two seating areas, on the lowest level of the auditorium.[2] With its completed conversion, the building is now home to Symphony Orchestra of Lorraine. This project has helped to open up the space to the public, provide a new cultural venue, and build upon its storied past.
Ford Point
Synopsis:
History
As the largest assembly plant on the West Coast, the Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Richmond, California, was a major stimulant to the local and region economy. Built in 1930 and designed by Albert Kahn, Ford became the city’s third largest employer. The plant was converted for wartime production in World War II. After the war, Ford restart automobile assembly, however, that ended in February 1953. The factory was closed down in 1956 due to its inability to meet increased production demands.[1]
(Re)Developer
Orton Development (ODI) specializes in rehabilitation and redevelopment of existing sites. The firm, established in 1984, has worked on numerous mixed-use projects including properties from: General Motors Corp., US Steel Realty, Lockheed Martin, Simmons Company, British Oxygen Corp., Dillard’s Retail Corp., Del Monte, Hunt-Wesson, and American Standard.
Located in Berkeley, California, Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects has completed numerous projects throughout California.
Outcome
ODI purchased the site from the City of Richmond in 2004 for $5.4 million, who then hired Marcy Wong Donn Logan Architects to undertake the new program design. The vacant building had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, but then sustained significant damage during the Loma Prieta earthquake one year later. The City of Richmond invested $20 million over 15 years after the quake and prior to the sale to ODI.[2]
Stretching a quarter-mile long and including more than 500,000 square feet of space, the adapted Ford Point (as it is now called) is a model of sustainable design. “In an exemplary preservation turn-around, the building that once manufactured exhaust-spewing internal-combustion engines now houses ‘green’ businesses and a popular entertainment venue, all of which are revitalizing the local economy.” It is home to the Crane Pavilion (40,000 sf), a public entertainment venue and the future home of the National Park Service’s Rosie the Riveter Visitor Center. The building’s largest tenant, SunPower Corporation, has installed a state of the art solar voltaic system atop the sawtooth structure of the historic facility.
“The rebirth of the Ford Assembly Building serves as an extraordinary example of how historic preservation can be a catalyst for community revitalization, economic development and sustainability,” says Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “This is a building that California can be proud of—and that architects, developers, politicians and business owners across the country should study as a model of innovative, environmentally responsible reuse.”[3]
Pittsburgh Opera
Synopsis:
History
George Westinghouse built the structure back in 1869 to serve as his original air brake factory. The 45,000 square foot building is located in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.[1] The plant stopped production around 2000.[2]
(Re)Developer
Originally known as the Pittsburgh Opera Society, the organization was founded in 1939 and is the eighth oldest company in the United States. In addition to its mainstage productions, Pittsburgh Opera produces a range of programs to engage and enrich the community with more than 20,000 students, families and educators participating in its educational events annually. The internationally renowned Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Program is among the country’s top five training centers for rising opera stars and the administrative and rehearsal space provides for events ranging from free community Brown Bag concerts to concert recitals by world-class opera singers. Pittsburgh Opera’s long-standing commitment to artistic excellence, responsible financial management and good neighborship will play a key role and asset for the city of Pittsburgh.[3]
Outcome
The new facility has provided Pittsburgh Opera with the space to house the resources needed to better prepare for performances at the Benedum, while opening up a whole new way for the community to experience all the artistry that is part of opera. In an effort to maintain the Company’s mission to enrich Pittsburgh and the tri-state area, the Opera has committed to the use of sustainable methods in the renovation and maintenance of the new headquarters, striving to obtain a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Operations and Maintenance Certification in early 2010.[4]
A number of sustainable features are a result of the project renovation; including, the installation of low flow water fixtures, occupancy sensors, efficient lighting, new mechanical equipment, and daylighting. Other elements have influenced the building’s ongoing operations; areas of continued focus include:
- Recycling
- Sustainable Purchasing
- Water Conservation
- Wellness
- Employee Education
- Green Cleaning
- Building Air Quality Monitoring
- Responsible Site Management
- Energy Management and Usage Reductions
- A Green Practices Team, “Team Verde”[5]
