Greely Center for the Arts

Greely Center for the Arts
Project Narrative

The Architect had provided a campus masterplan and designed several major buildings on this K-12 campus over a fifteen-year span. A substantial classroom addition to the high school (2006) anticipated a future performance facility addition on this campus, located literally in the middle of a small residential town center.

The designated site is surrounded by the existing building to the north and west, an existing bus loop to the south and an existing running track to the east. By means of a 12-degree rotation of the lobby, house and stage off the orthogonal grid of the high school, the new facility fits comfortably within these boundaries. This rotation also allows the lobby to gracefully connect to the existing building’s corridors, while making a subtle exterior gesture to the west for entering theater-goers.
A 500-seat theater and modified-fly stage are at the heart of the facility. Designed as a multiuse teaching and performing theater, it accommodates drama, music, dance, lectures and presentations for the K-12 student body and the entire community. The theater house contains a lighting catwalk and lighting galleries along each side. An accessible orchestra pit, when not in use, is concealed by removable floor and stage apron panels. The stage features a fully motorized rigging system, and all building and theatrical lighting is LED. Supporting spaces include dressing rooms, green room, costume/prop storage, and set construction/storage. New band and chorus rooms, with soundproof practice rooms and storage spaces, are conveniently located surrounding but carefully separated from the house and stage.
The curved, generously glazed two-story lobby provides access to lower and upper seating areas and to both stories of the existing high school; it also provides attractive gallery space for the display of artwork. A flowing entry plaza, complete with curving seat walls, light bollards and wild grasses, echoes the curve of the lobby and provides space for seasonal socializing. The evening glow of the lobby is a welcoming beacon for visitors.
Red brick and light-toned metal siding continue the established exterior palette. Interior finishes are straightforward and durable, with clear-finish maple boards and paneling in the lobby; in the house, similar maple boards offset deep-toned painted gyp board surfaces and lively red seating.
This 26,650 square foot, $8.4M performing arts center addition was completed in December 2018.